Follow the Yellow Brick Road
by Kikyo's killer
Summary: Zoro has found himself in a world full of brainless scarecrows, heartless tin men, cowardly lions, flying monkeys, and a yellow brick road. Chopper, I don't think we're in the Grand Line anymore. ZoLu OPxOZ
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece, Wicked, or The Wizard of Oz. If I did I would not be writing fan fiction, because I'd be freakin' rich.

**Summary:** Zoro has found himself in a world full of brainless scarecrows, heartless tin men, cowardly lions, flying monkeys, and a yellow brick road. Chopper, I don't think we're in the Grand Line anymore. ZoLu OPxOZ

**Warnings:** adult themes, ZoLu, prejudice, a twisted around Oz, and language (thanks to Sanji)

**Author's Note:** It has been about two years since I last submitted something to fan fiction. I'm actually nervous about it. After being away for so long, it's going to be weird coming home from school hoping that I got a review. Still, it's good to be back and writing again. I missed it.

Anyway, on to the important stuff! Have you seen Wizard of Oz, the movie? You have? Good. That's all you basically need to know about this story. The rest is up to me, and my improving writing skills. There are a couple of things I would like to warn you about, though. This is not a kid's story or a parody. This is an adult fan fiction (that may not be so adult) that is set in the Land of Oz. Also, a lot of the political issues in this story are based off of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Haven't read it? You should. It's actually a good read.

Thankfully, it's not important to the story. So, if you haven't read it or have tried and couldn't understand what was going on, it's fine. You'll learn about things as Zoro learns them. If you are interested in the book read at your own risk. For the immature it's a hard read. You won't get some of the jokes, and you'll get lost easily. For the mature, you'll probably enjoy it a lot more. If you do decide to read it, and have a hard time following, please refrain from running to your parents and asking what a certain paragraph means. And if you do, don't say that I told you about it. The last thing I need is angry mothers tracking me down and suing me for recommending books with adult themes to minors.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story and I world greatly appreciate it if you reviewed. See you at the end of the chapter!

**Chapter One: Welcome to Oz!**

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

—Dorothy, _Wizard of Oz _(movie)

"Welcome to...Oz?" Zoro read out loud the gold colored sign on the arch. He glanced around, not quite sure where Oz was exactly. He didn't remember Nami yelling about an island up ahead, or Usopp telling tall tales to Chopper about his "adventures" there. He didn't remember Sanji prancing around with the usual "we're about to land at a new island let's have a drink" drink, or Robin consoling Chopper that there were no medieval knights that go on a nightly rampage searching for his lost head. And he definitely would remember Luffy's enthusiastic laughter as he raced to the head of Merry to have the first glance at the "mysterious" island.

In fact, he wasn't even sure how he got here. The last thing he remembered was watching Luffy listen to their new historian, Robin, talk about a book. It was about some girl from Candas and her little black dog, Nono...or was it Dodo?

After she got trapped in the giant tornado, Zoro just stopped caring. Instead he closed his eyes and listened for Luffy's voice among the gawking listeners.

After awhile he must have dozed off, but that did not explain how he got here, or where he was. Was it possible that this was a dream? Appearing in front of a sign without any explanation was indeed dream-like, but this world felt too real and logical to be a figment of his imagination.

"Outta of the way." A gruff goat pushed passed him, giving him a rather hard look as he passed by. Zoro blinked. Maybe this was a dream.

"_He thinks it's a dream at first,"_ Kuina's voice whispered in his head, _"but after awhile, he slowly grasps that this is his new reality."_

A shiver ran through his spine.

It has been a long time since he thought of Kuina and _that_ book. She would go on and on for hours about how wonderful it was, and he'd have to endure every minute of it through gritted teeth. She would always ask him what he would do if this were to happen or if that were to appear. He honestly didn't care about the "what ifs." He lived in the Now, and that's all that mattered.

He looked back at the golden words. It would be stupid to stand in front of an opening and not go in. So, without a hesitant step, Roronoa Zoro walked into the Wonderful Land of Oz.

(-)(-)(-)

Oz was definitely something else. Not long after going under the arch he found himself in a flourishing forest. He wasn't quite sure when it happened. The change was so subtle that he was a ways in before it even occurred to him that the dirt road had turned into a thriving forest.

"What are you doing, mister?" a high, squeaky voice asked. Zoro turned around to address the stranger, but found no one was there. He opened and closed his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. He could have sworn he heard someone talk to him. "Over here!" He turned his head to the side, to find himself face to face with a...chipmunk? No. It was a squirrel.

"What are you doing here, mister?" it asked again.

Zoro stared at the talking squirrel for a moment before replying, "I'm going home."

This wasn't the first time an animal had talked to him (excluding the goat), and he doubt it would be the last. Still, the whole situation unnerved him. With Chopper there was a sense of humanity in him. He felt like he was in a presence of a human, granted a furry one, but a human nonetheless. The squirrel, on the other hand, gave no indication of its humanity aside from its ability to speak. Its vocal cords were small and squeaky; his body was tiny and fluffy; and at its best it stood no more than eleven inches. Chopper was defiantly a more human companion, and probably smarter too.

"Home?" the squirrel titled its head, "Where his home?"

The swordsman shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"Then how do you know you're going to the right way?"

"I don't."

He turned back to the route ahead of him, continuing on his way. He heard the rustle of branches as the squirrel jumped from one tree branch to another. '

"Wait, mister," the squirrel squeaked, "you can't go through this forest alone!"

Zoro didn't stop walking, "Why not?"

"There are lions and tigers and bears!" the squirrel jumped for another branch.

"So?"

The squirrel almost fell out of the tree, "What do you mean 'so?' You can't go up against a lion, mister! That's crazy!" The swordsman just smirked. The squirrel continued his jumping, "Okay, how about thieves? How do you expect to take out a whole army by yourself? Even with _four_ swords you won't stand a chance!"

"I don't even need three to get rid of some rowdy bandits. I've dealt with their kind before, they're usually unskilled lackeys. I'll be fine."

"They aren't weak! I've seen them take out Kings!" the squirrel breath was starting to grow heavy, "Oz has really big, strong men. They train hard and long to kill you and take your gold."

"Good thing I don't have any then."

The squirrel was quiet for several moments. Zoro wasn't sure if it was because it was having a hard time keeping up or if it was just thinking, "Your swords!" it finally said, "They'll take your swords! And sell you to slavery. You sell real good as a workman. Maybe even a lover if a woman sees fit."

Zoro's face scrounged in distaste, "I'd rather parish by swords than suffer such disgrace. Besides, the World Government has long forbidden slavery."

The squirrel gave a startled cry as it fell from the tree, landing with a loud _thud_ on the ground. Zoro turned around, waiting for the squirrel to say something. The poor creature lay there for several moments, gasping for breath. "The... (gasp)...The World Government?"

"Yes," he took a step forward, "the World Government. It clearly states the enslavement of any being will result in immediate execution."

"What... (gasp)...are you talking about?" the squirrel slowly got to its feet, "Not even the Great Wizard of Oz can stop it. It's everywhere."

Zoro didn't say anything.

The squirrel took a few more breaths before running up to Zoro. He stared up at the frowning man for a moment, and then climbed up his pants leg up to his head. "You know," it said, "you have some strange clothes. I bet you could pawn them off for a good amount of gold."

"No thanks."Zoro continued walking.

"Weren't you going the other way?"

Zoro gritted his teeth and turned around, ignoring the giggling rodent on his head.

(-)(-)(-)

He was never one for fantasy in his childhood. If it didn't involve swords, he had little use for it. Kuina, however, loved fantasy. And one of her favorite books involved a young man waking up one day in a world with all the same people, but a totally different life. In that world, magic and sorcery was common, but no one had heard of the Devil Fruit. There were no pirates, but plenty of outlaws. It was totally different world with all the same people in the original.

He hated the story as much as Kuina loved it. She would always go on and on asking about what he would do if he were ever stuck in an alternate reality. Zoro would always reply, "Find a way home." which Kuina would respond, "How?"

How indeed.

The man in the book never came home. He confessed his feelings to his deceased love affair from his world and lived happily ever after as their king. Zoro hated the ending. The author made the alternate reality to be almost a utopia. The few flaws it had were there to cause more drama.

Kuina more than anything wanted to go to the perfect world. She would spend hours fantasying about it that she was completely convinced if she were to go there they would make her queen.

Zoro didn't care what they were to make him, he was going home. He had already decided that. Nothing, not even the perfect world, was going to keep him away from his home.

_Nothing_.

(-)(-)(-)

"I think you're lost."

"I am not lost."

"Are you sure?" the squirrel looked down from the tree, "I've seen that tree at least six times."

"Why are you still following me?" Zoro growled, after being in the forest for so long he was starting to get impatient. The talking squirrel didn't help the situation much either.

The squirrel hopped to another branch, "I've never seen a man with green hair. Emerald City is green. Are you from there?"

"No."

"Have you gone? I have. It's beautiful. I can take you there. Maybe you'll meet someone you know. Then you won't be so grouchy."

"I am _not_ grouchy."

"Maybe you wouldn't be alone if you were a bit nicer," the squirrel waited to see Zoro's reaction, when he got none he continued jumping from branch to branch, "but then what do I know? I'm just a Squirrel."

He ignored the comment.

"Take the road to the right when you reach the fork, you'll come by a village full of vertically challenge persons. They will tell you the way to get to the City of Emerald. I hear it's nice this time of year. The flowers are probably all in bloom."

The squirrel jumped off the tree branch. His feet barely touched the yellow brick before he scurried further into the forest. The swordsman watched the talking woodland creature with mild interest. Not long after Zoro lost sight of the squirrel did he find a fork in the road.

He went left.

(-)(-)(-)

It took several more hours for him to find the end of the forest. Yet, almost immediately after leaving, he found himself in a farming village not much unlike where Usopp grew up. The first thing he noticed about this village was that it had a lot of corn. The land was completely filled with corn stalks that grew over his head. It was making him hungry. There were several times where he was tempted take a couple of stocks of corn, but the watchful eyes of the villagers made the task difficult. So he continued on his way.

This wasn't the first time he had gone a day without eating. Back when he was a bounty hunter the only thing he could eat where the huge fish that jumped out of the water and tried to eat him. That was his basic dining style until Nami joined. He was sure he could go a day or two without eating. And if push comes to shove, he could always go hunting. It wasn't that much of an inconvenience.

"Hey, traveler," Zoro turned his head to find a little, elderly woman on her porch waving her arm enthusiastically in the air. He stopped. The little woman jumped from the porch and scurried over to him. She looked up, smiled, and said, "Traveler, would you like to rest at my house? You look tired, and I see you've been eyeing our corn for awhile. You were right to keep your filthy hands to yourself, these farm folk don't take kindly to thieves. So how about it, young man?"

"No." Zoro continued walking.

"I will not take no for an answer, young man," she grabbed him by the pants leg and tugged it., Even though he was aware that the woman had no strength to forcibly make him follow her, he let the woman drag him to her house, ignoring her mumbles about today's youth having no respect for their elders.

(-)(-)(-)

"Here you go, my pet," she handed him another plate, "eat up. You are much too skinny for Granny's taste." She walked back to counter and busied herself with chopping.

Zoro stared at his fifth helping with disgust. It was like corn stew, without the stew. It was just corn broiled in some brown, awful smelling liquid that made him gag. He couldn't believe it; someone could actually cook worse than Luffy.

"I really must get going," he pushed the bowl away and stood up, "thank you for the food."

"No you don't," the little woman waved a knife in front of his face, "It's been months since I last had company, and you are not leaving until Granny has had her fill with you. Now you are going to sit down and enjoy the meal I've cooked long and hard for you, and then we're going to have tea." She smiled at him, tossing the knife from one hand to another. "Doesn't that sound fun?"

Zoro nodded, slowly sitting down. The little woman turned around and continued chopping. The swordsman went back to his food, forcing himself to eat.

(-)(-)(-)

The tea, thankfully, was much more tolerable than the dinner. After seven servings, Zoro was thankful that the woman was offering him a place to stay. He didn't think he could continue walking after eating so much.

"So, Roronoa," the woman took a sip of her tea. "Why have you traveled so far away? Not many people from Emerald City will be way out here in Munchkin Land."

"I'm not from Emerald City. In fact, I'm not quite sure where I'm from or how I got here."

"Amnesia, huh?" the woman nodded her head, taking another sip of her tea, "It happens to the best of us."

Zoro didn't say anything. It was weird using the cliché amnesia excuse, but he couldn't exactly explain the situation he was in. People would think he was crazy if he said that he just appeared in front of Oz with no explanation. And he doubt that telling her that he was from another world would do much better, especially if he mentioned that he was a pirate with a $60,000,000 bounty on his head. That would end well.

At least, he thought, I'd be able to leave this place.

"You're probably from Emerald City, then." The woman smiled at him, "They are the only people out there who would have such a _ridiculous_ color, such as green, for their hair." She giggled.

The swordsman gritted his teeth.

"I've always wished I could go there. I hear the place is nothing less of a utopia." She looked at her cup, longingly. "I guess you'd expect nothing less than that if the Great and Wonderful Oz was staying there. Nobody would dare commit a crime if _he_ was there. Don't you agree?"

"I don't know who Oz is."

"No…I suppose you don't." She took a sip of tea, and then placed it onto the table. "You are the first traveler we've had in a long time. By any chance, did you happen to meet a Squirrel on your way here?"

Zoro nodded, wondering why she put such an emphasis on the "S." The woman's eyes downcast, "I see. That's a shame. I guess you were lucky enough not to fall for its tricks."

"Tricks?"

"Yes. You see, this Squirrel is part of this _awful_ group that collect people and Animals alike to sell them to slavery. We have lost many travelers because those dreadful fiends! The Squirrel guides the traveler to the forest and tells him to go _right_ instead of _left_. You were lucky enough to not fall for his tricks."

Zoro nodded. He could have sworn he _had_ gone right.

"Well, enough of these depressing topics." The woman clapped her hands together, "It's time for photo albums. Let me go get them." She jumped off the couch and skipped to the bookshelves.

He spent the rest of the night in silent agony.

(-)(-)(-)

Even after several protests the little woman would not let Zoro leave the house. She _insisted_ that he stay the night. So, after several threats and curses, he agreed. The room wasn't anything extravagant. It had a bed, a dresser, and a small night stand. It would have been a great room to sleep in if the bed wasn't designed for an eight year old.

Sighing, the swordsman sat against the wall and closed his eyes. A wave of homesickness welled in stomach. He couldn't tell you how many naps he had taken aboard Merry. It was a habit he developed when he was a bounty hunter. There was not much to do on the boat, so he often spent most of his time sleeping, though he did it less often when he joined Luffy.

That was a fun time. Luffy was so entertaining and energetic, even on a small boat, that it was hard for him to get any sleep. At first it annoyed him to no end, but as the days passed on, he started to enjoy the younger's company. Luffy was different, and he enjoyed the change. He still does.

"I miss him." Zoro mumbled before drifting to sleep.

**Author's Note:** I would love a Beta. And not one of those, "You have a good story, keep it up." I actually want someone to tell me straight up in a message if s/he did not understand a part, or if I was lacking on another. I need something more than someone who is better at grammar. I need someone to straight up tell me that I need to rewrite a scene because it didn't make sense or it sucked. If you are willing to do that for me, please PM me. If I get more than one, I'll interview all of you.

Yes, I do know about the section for Betas, but I want someone who has read the first chapter, and likes, it to edit. I don't want to go to a complete stranger, who may or may not like my writing, and ask them to edit. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. Plus, I might get rejected.

**Question:** What was your first reaction when Zoro went left instead of right? I really want to know. Did you think it was because of his bad sense of direction or some other more personal reason? I know I clarified it in the story (I couldn't resist) but I'm still curious for your first reactions.

Anyway, thank you for reading and putting up with my long author notes. I have one favor to ask though, could you please review? I've worked _real_ hard on this chapter, and I haven't gotten a review in like 2 years. Plus, I really would like to know your answer to my question. Thanks again for reading! Bye!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Alright, first off, I would like to thank my wonderful beta, Lectori Salutem. Even though English is her second language, she agreed to be beta and she did a wonderful job at it. Thank you so much for putting up with my terrible first draft, and having the guts to tell me the truth. You rock my socks off, girl! (A little American humor).

**Important Note:** The **Ruby slippers** **are silver slippers!** In the _original_ Wizard of Oz, the shoes were _silver_, not ruby. It's a minor detail, but I don't want you to "get lost in translation" so to speak. I don't know if that's the appropriate term, but it'll do.

**Chapter Two: The Girl from Kansas**

"The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick," said the witch; "so you cannot miss it. When you get to the Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you…"

—L. Frank Buam, _The Wizard of Oz_

It was midday when he finally was able to leave the woman's house. She kept insisting that he stayed longer so she could show him her collections of flowers, books on flowers, pictures of flowers, animal fur, _Animal_ fur (though he saw absolutely no difference between the two), and her children and grandchildren's baby teeth. If that wasn't enough, the woman would go on long drabbles about her childhood that tended to jump from one topic to another to _completely_ different subject. Half the stuff he didn't have a clue on what she was rambling about.

But he was glad to be able to finally leave the dreadful house, though it was not a complete waste. The woman did give him some valuable information on Emerald City. It was apparently the capital of Oz, and where the ruler, the Wizard of OZ, lived. No one knew his true name, or where he came from. It was as if…

"…as _if he fell from the sky,"_ Kuina voice echoed in his head, _"No one knew where he came from or how he got there. Not even him."_

Zoro made a face. Only a fool would make a complete stranger his leader.

(-)(-)(-)

Not long after leaving the corn village, he found his way into a town. The whole place was filled with music, laughter, dancing, smiling, cheers, and drinking. Lots and lots of drinking. Zoro smirked. This was his kind of place.

"Oh, stranger!" a short man stumbled toward him, his arm wrapped another man who was an inch or so taller. The men glanced at each other before laughing. "I like yo' hairr!" he laughed again, "Where'd you fro...from?"

"Emerald City," he lied, "though I'm not sure how to get there. I lost my memory, you see."

The man nodded his head, stumbling back a few steps. "It happens to the best of us." He laughed again, "I bet youuuu…." He paused a moment, trying to keep his balance on his friend who was having a hard time standing up himself. He continued, "I bet you, you have a… a…lot…a lot of…. gol…gold! I bets you have a lot of gold!!"

His friend laughed harder. "Yeah, I bet he pisses it out!"

Zoro scrounged his face in distaste. He liked a good drink as much as the next guy, but these men (if you could them that) went over their limit. Still, he answered them. "No. I don't have any gold."

"Then why don't you drink some ale and take a piss!" then both men laughed and tumbled away from the swordsman.

Zoro shook his head. He wasn't in the mood for bad jokes and senseless jabber. He just wanted a barrel of alcohol and a place to rest.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," a small woman shook her head. She wasn't as old as the other woman he had run into (thank god), but she was around the same size. Were all people this size? He wondered. It would be interesting to run into chibi versions of his friends, especially Sanji. "I told them to watch their alcohol intake," the woman turned her head to Zoro and gave him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry about that, dearie. Those two think they're so funny when they're drunk."

"It's fine," he said.

The woman stomped her foot, "No it is not! I couldn't help but hear your situation, and I want to give you a place to stay. I own an inn by the Grand Bell in the middle of the town. Please, stay there tonight. Think of it as celebration of the death of the Wicked Witch of the East."

Zoro stared at her blankly.

"You know who she is," the woman leaned forward, "right?"

The swordsman shook his head. The small creature gasped. "How dreadful! After all these years of pain and suffering, when she finally is vanquished, you aren't well enough to even know who she is. You poor, pitiful fool."

Zoro tried very hard not to slice the woman in half. Instead he clutched his fists, and said through clenched teeth, "Thank you for your generosity."

The woman face brightened, "You're welcome! Now please, enjoy the party, even someone with your condition shouldn't have that trouble at all loosening themselves up!"

The woman skipped away, letting her arms swing back and forth. Zoro unclenched his fists and took a deep breath. He continued walking to the center of the town. After three hours, he found the giant bell in the center of town. It seemed that the whole town had gathered around some old house not far from the bell. On the porch was a miniature man who spoke with a loud, squeaky voice.

"That's the mayor," the woman from before whispered into his ear. Zoro nodded, keeping his face apathetic. Inside his heart was pounding twenty miles per a second. Where did she come from?

"—and their children's children will tell their children's children that today Alvida, the Wicked Witch of the East, was at last vanquished!"

Cheers and cries of joy filled the area. Men and women alike were weeping, and Zoro even saw one woman faint. He was tempted to ask the innkeeper who Alvida was—though the name sounded familiar—but all his questions were drowned out by the cheers, the crying, and the fainting. The mayor raised his hands, the noise quieted down.

"Now, most of you know that our savior is on a dangerous journey to see the Wizard. The Great Witch of the North, Vivi, has already sent her on her journey with her blessings, and Alvida's shoes," the crowd booed at the mention of the witch's name. The mayor raised his hands again, "won't be enough to protect the young girl from any trouble ahead. We must send one of our men to protect our savior!" The crowd roared with support and three more women fainted. "Who wants to go?"

The crowd went silent.

The mayor sighed. "Come now, are you all so cowardly that you will not help the very being who saved our land from the dreaded witch?"

"Why don't you go?" A man from the crowed asked.

"Because," the mayor coughed into his sleeve, "because I'm sick. And I must run this country for you, my loyal followers. I cannot be distracted by dangerous missions."

"Coward!" a woman yelled.

The crows roared with agreement, calling the mayor a coward, slime, scum. Zoro was surprised at how quickly they turned against their leader. Even the innkeeper next to him, who was weeping with joy not moments before, was calling the mayor a "Horse-fucking ball of failure."

The mayor was sweating on the stage, telling his people to quiet down, throwing every excuse he could at them. It was pathetic.

"Why doesn't HE go!" a man yelled over the crowd. Everyone turned their eyes to the green haired swordsman at the back. "He has swords. He looks tough."

Zoro opened and closed his mouth, not quite sure what to say. The crowd buzzed with accusations. "He must be from Emerald City." "Do you think he works for the Wizard?" "He'll protect her." "They're going the same place anyway." "Even if he does die, it's not going to hurt us." "I still say the mayor should go."

"Quiet!" The innkeeper boomed. The town fell silent. "How dare you send a complete stranger to his demise? Are you all so cowardly? He doesn't even know who the witch is, let alone Emerald City. The man is clueless to this word due to a bump on his head, sending him after the girl is suicide!"

There was a moment of silence before someone said, "Send the stranger!"

The town cheered in agreement.

(-)(-)(-)

Corn. Corn. Corn. Zoro was sick of seeing corn! Didn't' these people plant something besides corn?

He took a deep breath, rubbing his head. All this yellow was giving him a headache. It was almost sundown and he had yet to find this savior. For all he knew, she could have already been eaten by a pack of wild bears. If he couldn't find her within the next three days, he was giving up.

He had no idea what he was going to do if he didn't find her. Maybe continue on to Emerald City. That seemed to be the best place to go. He doubted this "Wizard" could help him find a way home, but it was a start.

He didn't like thinking about the subject. As much as he hated to admit, he was homesick. He missed Nami yelling at him to get up and help around the ship. He missed Usopp's tall tales. He even missed Sanji's over obsession of girls. They were his family.

"_Why would you want to go home so badly?"_ Kuina once asked. _"You're an orphan. There's nothing here for you besides me and swords. Would you really want to give up everything you've ever wanted to go back to nothing?"_

She was so angry when she asked that. It was right after they had the fight over book. He refused to answer at the time; he was embarrassed. Now that she was dead, he regretted not telling her. The reason why he wanted to go home so badly was because didn't want to leave her. She and her father were the closest thing to a family he ever had. He didn't want to lose that.

Not long after the sun went down did he start hearing someone cry. At first it was just quiet sobs. Then it grew into frustrated yells and rhythmic beats on the ground. It wasn't long before Zoro found the source of the noise. Lying on the ground, dressed in a checkered dress and very expensive looking silver slippers was Nami. Standing next to her, his nose resting on her face, was Chopper.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" She banged her fist onto the yellow brick with each "fuck."

"Are you alright?" He tried to sound concerned, but he just sounded annoyed. Empathy was not something he was good at.

"No," Nami sobbed, "I'm not alright. First I get into a fight with my mom. Then my house gets trapped in a tornado. I end up the middle of a village full of short people. A witch tells me I killed someone. The next thing I know I'm on all alone on a journey to find some Wizard. Now I'm stuck here with a broken ankle, and I'm going to be killed or raped."

"I was sent here to help you." He sounded more concerned this time. "I can carry you until we find a safe place to stay."

"How do I know you won't hurt me?"

"You don't." he said, "But I have amnesia and wouldn't know what to do with a woman in the first place."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She sounded testy. That was a good sign.

"Would you rather lay here and get eaten," he was already picking her up as he said this, "Or are you going to let me carry you to safety?"

"Let me go, let me go, let me go!" Nami yelled and punched and bit, but Zoro stayed strong and bared through it. He kept his face apathetic. It wasn't until Nami was safely on his back that he showed any sign of pain. He forgot how hard Nami hits. "You're an asshole, you know that?" She hit him one more time before plopping her face on his shoulder. "I hate you."

He didn't say anything. She sounded like a fourteen year old girl.

"How old are you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"It wouldn't matter how old you were if I was going to hurt you. I'm just wondering."

"…fourteen."

Figures. The Nami he knew looked more _mature_. Still, fourteen was a bit young to be running around trying to find a Wizard. What were they thinking?

He glanced at Chopper, trying to keep his mind off the pain in his back. The reindeer was glowering at him, as if to say, "If you hurt her, I'll hurt you." It seemed that the maturity Nami lacked in his world, Chopper made up in this world. Still, it was weird to see the usually plush like doctor to be on all fours (his "walk point" as he called it) with the same pink hat and blue nose. He was half expecting the reindeer to change back into his plush form and threaten him.

But the reindeer stayed on all fours, and continued walking. He didn't eat the Hito Hito no Mi, Zoro told himself. Chopper was going to stay like that for the whole trip.

Or maybe he was hiding the fact he could talk. Zoro had run into two separate animals since he go there, and both of them were able to speak. Was Chopper an exception, like he was in his world?

"You're lucky Chopper's not eating you alive right now." Nami nudged her face farther into his back "I one time saw him eat a live squirrel in _one bite_."

"Did he now?"

He couldn't say he was surprised at the situation. The man in the book met some of his companions in the new world. One of the flaws of the book was the characters were _exactly_ alike in both worlds—Zoro never missed a day where he didn't point that out. He understood a long time ago, if he were to meet people from his world they would not be exactly the same. They grew up two different lives. Still, he didn't expect a change in age. The last thing he wanted was to babysit a bunch of teenagers.

(-)(-)(-)

He was surprised at how talkative Nami was. She constantly asked questions about his world and the life he lived. Zoro played along, replying with vague answers or saying he didn't know. Usually she would talk about her world, Kansas. She would go on and on about the differences she saw from both worlds. He mostly just drifted in and out.

"They asked if Chopper was an Animal or an animal." Nami said. "Do you know what they meant by that?"

"No."

Nami nodded. "I asked them what they meant, and they gave me a weird look."

"What did they say?"

"They asked if I had Animals in Kansas. I said, 'I don't know.'" She put her chin on Zoro's shoulder, "You know what they did after that?"

"What?"

"They laughed. They said Kansas was a weird place. I don't think it's a weird place. I think this is the weird place. Don't you agree?

"I don't know."

"You sure are talkative." She said, "Maybe your friends dumped you because you were too _empathetic_."

"I guess." He didn't feel like telling her that she meant apathetic.

Nami huffed. "You know, if you keep this up I won't talk to you."

"Okay."

Nami didn't say anything for a long time after that. At first Zoro thought it was her teenage rebellion that was keeping her mute, but it wasn't until he heard the soft, rhythmic breathing that he realized that his new companion was asleep. He silently thanked the heavens for this small favor.

It was late in the night when Zoro came upon another village. He had no intention on traveling so long, but the walking did him some good. He was able to do some thinking and just enjoy the world around, but it did annoy him whenever Chopper would grab his pant leg and drag him out of his thoughts. Of course, the reindeer only did it when Zoro was about to enter the corn field surrounding the yellow brick, but it was still annoying.. He had a feeling that Chopper was more aware of the world than Nami thought he was.

"Should we rest here?" he asked the blue nose animal.

Chopper replied by walking over to the nearest house and laying on all fours. Zoro followed the deer to the house, and knocked on it. The door opened a second later to a small man with a pipe. Zoro was surprised to find that it was the same man who lived inside the whale when they first entered the Grand Line. For the life of him he couldn't remember either of their names, not that he cared too anyway.

"Yes, may I help you?" the man asked in an agitated voice.

He was currently dressed in his night gown and fuzzy slippers. In his right hand he was holding a rather large book, his finger holding his place a little more than half way in.

"We need a place to stay."

The man looked back at him long and hard before blowing a puff smoke in his face. "Fine," he said, "twenty gold."

"We have no money." Zoro turned the look with an even harder one.

"One sword for one night."

"No."

"You aren't going to find another place this late in the night. Take it or leave it." Zoro continued to stare at the man. The whale man finally let out a sigh, "Fine. You can stay here for free, but only one night. I don't think Vivi will be too happy if she found out I killed our savior."

The old man stepped out of the way so Zoro could walk in. He took a long breath of the pipe, blowing it in front of the swordsman. Zoro ignored the old man, and placed Nami on the couch not too gently.

"Hey, hey," the man said, "be careful. That's an expensive couch!"

Zoro didn't say anything. Instead he grabbed her left slipper—the one that was supposedly broken—and tried to pull it off. A searing hot flash ran threw through his hands. Zoro cursed and removed his them immediately. They were red with irritation.

"Not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?" the old man shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He returned a moment later with two wet rags. He placed both on Zoro's hands. "You can't take off those shoes. They belong to the Wicked Witch of the East. They were designed to stay there until she dies."

"You could have told me that before I tried to take them off." The swordsman growled.

"I didn't think you were that stupid." He said. "I'm guess they'll be hurting for awhile, best not to irritate them. You can sleep on the chair or floor, I don't care. Just don't be doin' anything stupid. Those shoes are designed to do more than protect her pretty little feet."

"Before you go," Zoro said. "Do you have any medicine for her ankle? She claims it's broken, though I bet it's just a sprained."

"She'll be fine," the man started walking up the stairs to his room most likely. "Those shoes were designed for that."

The swordsman sighed before plopping on the chair. Chopper lied next to Nami, his eyes glaring at him.

"I'm not going to do anything," he said, "promise."

Chopper lowered his head, and closed his eyes. Zoro did too. Within moments he was asleep.

**Author's Note:** I don't' think the beginning's anything special (as Lectori would said) but it was such a hassle to write that I had to make due. So, what do you guys think of Nami being fourteen again? This will call for a lot of OOC-ness if you compare it to her older self. So, you're probably wondering why I changed her age. The truth is, I don't know. It sort of just happened that way. She sounded like a fourteen year old girl when I wrote her and that's how old she ended up being. The change actually fits well into the story, though. Dorothy was a little younger than Nami when she was sent on this journey.

Well, I only have one request. Please review! I was almost about to quit this story until Lectori said she'll be my beta. I need to know people are reading! Even a simple, "hi" will do! Just let me know you're out there!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Brainless Scarecrow**

"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one."

—L. Frank Buam, _The Wizard of Oz_

To Zoro's surprise, the whale man made them breakfast the next morning. It wasn't as extravagant as something the Love Cook would prepare, but at least it was something that he could hold down. Nami didn't seem to mind, either. She was gulping down the food almost as fast as Luffy, something he thought he'd never see. The old man, however, just nibbled on a biscuit or sipped his tea. His attention was engrossed in a newspaper—though he had no idea if it was the same one from yesterday.

Zoro looked closely, trying to read the bold text through the man's fingers. All he saw was "ass" and "Emer." Then, out of mild curiosity, he looked at the date the paper was set in. He was surprised to find that it was dated thirty years from his world's time.

"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning." Nami said.

No one said anything.

"Hey, old man, do you know what the difference between an animal and an Animal is?"

The whale man put down his newspaper, and gave Nami an "are you stupid?" look. When he just received a blank stare from the girl, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "How can you not know what's the differences between an Animal and an animal?"

"I don't know!" she said, "I don't think Kansas has Animals!"

The old man let out a tired sigh. "How do I explain?" he turned to Zoro who was busy was playing with what looked like cream corn. "Do you know what an Animal is?"

He didn't look up. "Amnesia. I can barely remember my own name."

"Amnesia, huh?" the man nodded. "It happens to the best of us." He turned his attention to Nami. "An Animal is like a human, only they're an animal. And an animal is like a regular animal. Understand?"

"No." Nami said.

The old man threw his hands in the air in defeat. "Well I give up."

"You didn't even try you old creep!"

"So, you're basically saying that an Animal is more like a human, but with animal features? Like they think, feel and talk like a human?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, yes," the old man agreed. "I thought you had forgotten?"

"I met a couple of Animals on the way here." Zoro continued to play with his food. "And I remember meeting an Animal doctor. A reindeer to be precise."

"_Reindeer_," the man corrected. "And I'm sure what he was doing was illegal. Animals aren't allowed to be doctors anymore."

"Why?" Nami asked. "Is it because they can't hold the equipment?"

"I suppose so," the old man said, "I never really questioned it. The Great Oz just restricted it one day, and I never really paid too much attention. I don't' even think it was announced in the Munchkin Newspaper, now that I recall."

No one but Zoro seemed to notice Chopper walk out of the room.

(-)(-)(-)

After breakfast the old man shooed them away. Nami wasn't too happy about being sent off so quickly, but didn't complain much about it. Instead she hummed to herself and skipped along the yellow brick road.

"Don't you think it would be cool if Chopper was a Reindeer?" Nami asked.

Zoro didn't say anything.

"If Chopper was a Reindeer," Nami continued, "I'd ask him what he thought of everyone. What he liked and what disliked. Oh, and how it was to walk on all fours all the time. I wonder if his hooves hurt after walking for so long."

"They do." He answered. Chopper complained once in Arabasta.

"How do you know?" Nami looked at him accusingly. "Can you speak to animals?"

"The Reindeer told me." Zoro replied effortlessly. "I remember we were in a desert when he said it."

"What else do you remember?"

Zoro didn't say anything.

"You're so dodgy!" Nami stomped her foot. "Don't you ever talk about yourself?"

"There's nothing to tell." Zoro replied. "I can only remember bits and pieces. How am I supposed to tell you stories when all I can remember are small portions?"

Nami made an annoyed face, but didn't say anything.

After about two hours of walking, and several rest stops—Nami's shoes were not made for walking—they reached a fork in the road with a scarecrow in the middle. He cursed. He thought the road would take him straight to Emerald City, with no splits. He looked both paths. One led to another village, while the other was the beginning to a forest. Zoro looked at the teenage girl who was currently resting on the floor, trying to rub her feet through the soles of her shoes.

"Which way?" Zoro asked her.

Nami winced. "I don't know, but I think I have a blister."

"Hello."

Zoro looked around. He saw no one. He looked back at Nami who was trying to pull the shoe off with a twig. Chopper was next to her pulling at heel of the other shoe.

"Did you say something?" He asked them.

"No." Nami threw the twig on the ground and pulled tried to pull from the heel like Chopper was doing.

"Over here!" the voice said again. "Turn around!"

The swordsman turned to find Luffy roped to a pole, smiling at him. His heart skipped a beat. Luffy…?

It was definitely him. He still had the same toothy grin. The same scar under his left eye. And the same tan skin. Granted his clothes were different. Instead of the red vest and blue shorts, he was wearing black pants and a green t-shirt with straw stuffed in them making him look like he was bigger. But the straw hat was still there, his treasure.

Still, there was something different about this Luffy. His eyes, though they were the same onyx black, weren't as bright. They didn't' show hope and determination as his spontaneous captain held so well. No, this Luffy's eyes showed fear and self-doubt.

"Did that scarecrow just say something?" Nami stood up on her feet, taking a few steps back.

"Oops!" Luffy shut his mouth. "I wasn't supposed to say anything!"

Zoro looked closer to see if Luffy was a scarecrow. He wasn't. He was just a skinny boy roped to a pole, his arms stretched across a wooden stick roped at the wrists while his legs were tied together just a couple of feet off the ground. Zoro's heart was pounding.

"He's not a scarecrow," Zoro told her.

Luffy's eyes lit with childish wonder. "How did you see through it? Not even grandpa figured it was me! Are you psychic?"

"Your face," Zoro answered, "it's the only thing not covered in straw."

"Wow, you're really good at this!"

Something was wrong with the way he spoke. He sounded like Luffy, but with the enthusiasm of a little boy.

"Why are you on a pole?" Nami got a little closer to see if Zoro was correct.

Luffy smiled at them. "They told me to stay here until all the corn was harvested; to make sure that the crows don't eat them."

"Who are they?" Nami asked.

"The villagers," though he was smiling, Luffy's eyes illuminated fear. "They told me that I was going to be the scarecrow because Alvida set the other one on fire. It's not as fun as it looks like."

"It doesn't look like much fun to begin with." Nami jumped the fence that blocked the corn field. Chopper ran up to the fence and waited patiently behind it. "Do you have to do this every day? Why don't you just tell them no?"

"I tried to, but they won't let me down."

"What do you mean?" Zoro's hands were shaking. "How long have you been here?"

"Ten days, I think." Luffy turned his head backwards to look at Nami. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to untie your knots," Nami answered, "but this one's tight."

"No, I mean, what are you doing _here_? I haven't seen visitors here in _months_."

"We're going to Emerald City to see the Wizard. He's going to get me back home—to Kansas." Nami let out of cry of pain. "Damn rope!"

"Can I come?"

"Why?" Nami let out another curse. "It's a long way, and you'll have to find your own way back."

"It'll be worth it to get a brain."

It was that moment that the last knot finally came undone. Luffy slipped onto the ground, landing on his knees. Zoro ran to him, jumping the fence to help the boy up. He was still wearing that damn grin.

"What do you mean, 'get a brain?'" Zoro asked. "You already have one."

"No I don't," Luffy leaned on Zoro for support, Nami holding out her hands to catch Luffy if he were to fall. He was too light, there was no muscle. "If I had a brain people would like me, and I'd be able to have smart conversations."

"A brain does more than that," Nami said. "It allows you to move, talk, breath, _live_. Didn't you take biology in school?"

"I never went to school."

When they reached the fence, Zoro handed Luffy over to Nami who had little trouble keeping the boy to his feet. The swordsman jumped the fence, picking Luffy up bridal style to carry him over. Nami followed him.

"You're weak from being off your legs for so long." Zoro explained. "It'll be awhile before you can stand on your own."

"See! I would know that if I had a brain!"

Zoro placed the skinny boy on the ground, letting Luffy use him for balance. "That doesn't mean anything."

"How would you know?" he gave him a hard look, "You have a brain."

Zoro shook his head, there was no use arguing with him. "You said something about your grandfather. Is he around here?"

Luffy nodded, "Yeah, Grandpa is in the village on the right!"

"We'll help you to his house," the swordsman took a couple of steps. Luffy stumbled. "It will be easier if we had help. Nami, get his other side."

"But you're so much taller than me!" she complained, "I won't be any help."

Chopper walked on the other side of Luffy, placing his head on the boy's hand. Luffy grinned. "Thanks. What's your name?"

"His name's Chopper," Nami said, petting the reindeer on his back. "He's just a reindeer, but he's really intelligent."

With the help of Chopper, Zoro helped Luffy walk to his grandfather's house.

(-)(-)(-)

The house was a disaster. It was filled with broken windows, and graffiti painted the white walls. Zoro glanced at Luffy who was still grinning. It wasn't a happy grin, like the one Luffy usually wore when he was about to do something stupid. No, this smile was empty. Fake.

"Grandpa doesn't like visitors," Luffy told them. "He gets very grouchy when people come over."

Zoro nodded. They walked slowly to the house, stopping at the door. The tan boy lifted his fist and banged against the door loudly. There was a curse followed by a muffled yell. Luffy pushed back, his grin wavering a moment. Zoro was starting to hate that smile.

The door was thrust open to show a large man. Zoro recognized him immediately as Garp, one of the most influential men in the Marines. The man's face grew hot at the sight of them. For a moment, Zoro thought the man was going to scream "Pirates!" and an army of Marines were going to surround them. Instead, the man grabbed his grandson and threw him behind him. Luffy stumbled a couple of steps before falling. Zoro had to bite his tongue to keep from crying his captain's name. The ex-Marine glared at the pair, his nostrils flaring with anger.

"You have ten seconds to explain why you were stupid enough to bring my grandson back after you kidnapped him."

Nami was shaking as she replied to the furious man, "Uh…We—you see—it wasn't us—he…"

"Your grandson was roped to a pole dressed as a scarecrow." Zoro glanced over the man's shoulder to find that Luffy was shaking as much as Nami as he tried to pull himself up. "He couldn't walk home so we carried him here. He wants to come with us to Emerald City. He wants a brain."

Garp's took a deep breath, calming himself. "You're telling me that my grandson has been in plain sight this whole time?"

"They told him to stay quiet."

To both of their surprise, Garp laughed. He laughed until tears came rolling from his eyes. Nami frowned, forgetting her fear.

"Do you think this is funny?" she asked.

The large man stopped laughing, wiping away a tear. He turned around to Luffy, who was currently trying to stand with the assistance of a table. "I've been looking for you for ten days, and you were right in front of me? Why didn't you say something?"

"They told me not too!" Luffy said, his voice strained from trying so hard to keep standing.

"And you listened?" the man said softly to himself. "Of course you did."

"Are you mad?" Luffy asked.

"Nah," Garp turned to Nami. "Help him practice standing in his room, will you? I need to have a grown up discussion with Mr. Swordsman."

Zoro's eye twitched.

Nami nodded and quickly ran past the old man, Chopper strolling behind her. She wrapped Luffy's arm around her shoulder and dragged him to the room as fast as she could. Zoro looked at the man before him with a hard look. The man returned it.

"He's not going with you."

"He said he wanted to come," Zoro's eyes grew narrow. "He needs to leave this place. It's not safe here."

"And Emerald City is?"

"It's better than being told he doesn't have a brain! You know as well as I do those men were looking to harm him."

"And you won't?" Garp pushed Zoro outside, closing the door softly behind him. "You think all because you helped carry him here that I'm going to throw him into your awaiting arms? Do you think me that bad of a guardian?"

"You couldn't find your grandson for ten days."

The large man's nostrils flared with anger. "I'm sure you noticed how Luffy his. How he wasn't completely there. Do you think I'm going to let my grandson on the most dangerous road in Oz because a punk with swords and a little girl with a deer want him to? I don't know what happened while you were with him, but I am not losing Luffy like I did Ace!"

Zoro was surprised. Ace…? He remembered him. That was Luffy's older brother. They met in Arabasta. "What happened to him?"

Garp didn't say anything for a long moment. His face was slowly growing relax. His fists unclenched and his breathing turned regular. "He joined the revolt against the Wizard. He's currently hiding in Emerald City with a friend of the family. If Luffy were to go there, then he'd be a target of the Wizard."

"I'll protect him." Zoro held one of his swords out. "I am a master of santoryuu. He'll be fine."

"Why are you so determined?" Garp rubbed his head. "He's too weak to deal with this. All the boy needs is bed rest and food."

"They'll do it again! You know as well as I do this is only the beginning. Let me help him!"

"No!" Garp glared at the swordsman. "You are not taking the only thing I have left in this world. I want you and that girl out of here immediately."

"But what about those villagers? Are you going to let them get away with it?"

"Why should a complete stranger care about what happens to my grandson?"

Zoro's eyes widened in realization. This wasn't his Luffy. It wasn't his place to make demands for his captain's sake. It was up to his guardian to protect him here. He was an outsider. His opinion meant nothing now. Luffy wasn't Straw-hat Luffy here, he was just a village boy trying to make it through life. Zoro was ashamed of himself. He let his emotions get the better of him.

The swordsman lowered his eyes, "Which road do I take to reach Emerald City?"

"Follow the yellow brick road back to the fork. Go the opposite direction you went here."

Zoro nodded, "Tell Nami that we're leaving immediately."

(-)(-)(-)

The pair walked in silence, Nami occasionally daring a glance at the swordsman. She didn't say anything when she came out of the dirty cottage with wide eyes and shaking legs. She didn't ask questions or sang any songs as they walked like she usually did. Instead, she walked in silence, occasionally stopping to rest her feet. After awhile, she asked,

"Why wouldn't he let Luffy come?"

"He needs to rest, to gain some of his energy back."

Nami kicked a pebble. "He was really excited about coming. He said that if he got a brain, then people would stop picking on him. Why do you think they did that?"

"It's none of our business."

"You don't mean that, do you?" Nami said. "You saw him tied to the pole, _starving_. You felt how light he was! How can you say it's none of our business?"

Zoro didn't say anything.

"Zoro," the girl grabbed his hand. Zoro stopped walking. She said, "He has bruises. Everywhere. Large, purple bruises all over his stomach and back. You could see his _organs_ he was so skinny. He needs help."

"We can't help him." the green haired man said. "It's not our place."

"But he's dying!" Nami stomped her foot. "If he doesn't get out of there they'll kill him! Please, Zoro, let's go back and get him!"

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"We just can't!"

Nami closed her mouth, tears falling from her eyes. She clutched her fists and turned around. Zoro took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't meant to yell at her. He wanted to go back and get Luffy, but he knew it wasn't right. The old man was doing his best to protect his grandson, but he was old. Much older in this world than his. There was only so much he could do with so little power status.

Luffy is going to make it. He told himself. It was Luffy after all.

"Where's Chopper?" Nami asked.

"I don't know. Didn't he come with you?"

Nami walked the other direction. She cupped her hands around her mouth and cried, "Chopper!" Zoro followed behind her. The reindeer was probably still with Luffy, trying to support him. His heart clenched as he thought of him. He hated thinking about his captain in that situation, even if wasn't exactly _his_ captain.

"Chopper!" Nami yelled again. "Chopper!"

He wondered how the reindeer was going to reply back, they weren't exactly known to be very loud animals. But he kept quiet, and listened for any sign of their four legged friend. To his surprise, he heard hooves not too long after. He raised his hand for Nami to be quiet and listen. She did. Her eyes brightened when she heard the clinging of her companion's hooves.

The reindeer came into view not a moment later, almost grinning. Next to him was Monkey D. Luffy with the same goofy grin. His body was shaking as it tried to hold his weight. Zoro's heart nearly jumped out of his stomach when he saw the boy. When he saw Zoro Luffy smiled, actually smiled. Then he closed his eyes and fell backwards.

**Author's Note:** I don't know what to tell you about this chapter. I am honestly scared of how you guys are reacting to Luffy right now. Just know this, I wouldn't do this if I haven't thought about it for a long time, and felt that it would empower my story. Trust me, there is a good reason for why Luffy is like this.I would never torture a character unless I could look you straight in the eye and say, "I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

**Question:** There are currently four major characters coming up: Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Wizard of Oz, and Wicked Witch of the West, and I'm dying to know who you think the characters are. I promise that none of them is Villager #12 or something along those lines. Each of those characters is either in the crew or played an important role in the anime. I've already decided who the characters are and how I want them to appear, so I promise I won't change who they are because everyone gets it right. I would be pleasantly surprised if you guys guess correctly on the Wizard and Wicked Witch. Those two aren't so obvious.

Thank those of you who reviewed and favored/alert this story. I would like to hear from some of you who just fav or alert occasionally. Reviews motivate me to write and you'll see better chapters because of it. That and my Beta is freakin' amazing!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Alvida's dead. She was crushed by Nami's house. I guess I didn't make that too clear. Sorry. Still, it was a lot fun to see your guesses on who the characters were. Of course Usopp was the popular choice for the Cowardly Lion, but I was surprised to see that a lot of people thought Crocodile was the Wizard. I'm not saying you're wrong or right, I'm just surprised. I honestly thought that Gol D. Roger was going to be a populare one, but no one said him. Again, I'm not saying it is or isn't him, but really? Nio one?

And everyone, except like one person, said Robin was going to be the Witch of the West (only because they didn't guess XD). Where's the variety? Ther'es a ton of women who could possibly the Witch of the West! Still, I can understand where you guys got the guess from. Well, ya'll won't be finding out who she is for awhile, so don't get too comfortable with your guesses, you might be wrong.

**Chapter Four: The Heartless Tin Man**

"I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world."

—L. Frank Buam, _The Wizard of Oz_

Zoro's head bobbed up and down as he tried to stay awake. He looked up to find that Nami was already fast asleep on Chopper's stomach. Her arms were wrapped around the reindeer, her mouth slightly open. He looked to the wagon driver who was staring blankly in front of him as two Horses dragged them forward. Occasionally, he would hear them whisper to one and another, but they were mostly quiet.

Luffy, however…

"Zoro," Luffy whined as he laid his back on the wagon, his feet sticking over the edge. "I'm hungry, got any food?"

"You ate it all this morning, remember?" Zoro said, "Why do you think Nami was so angry at you?"

"Well, I'm still hungry. Can we stop by and get some food?"

Zoro sighed. He had almost forgotten about his captain's unbelievably large appetite. The skinny scarecrow turned his head backwards to the wagon driver, "Hey, gramps, can you look out for an apple tree or something?"

"If you get off, you're not getting back on," the driver said in a bored voice.

"Alright, stop at the nearest sight of food." Zoro said.

Luffy jumped onto his feet giving out a large yell, waking Nami in the process. Zoro closed his eyes, trying to hide the smile on his face. It had only been five days since Luffy joined them, but he seemed to open up quite a bit. When he first joined, he was quiet and hesitant to say anything. He would open his mouth to ask a question, and then closed it and stare at his feet.

On the second day, Luffy became more confident. He started asking where they were from and who they were. Zoro mostly said he didn't remember, but Nami went on long rants about her world. She told them stories about machines that could carry humans through the sky and boxes that could transmit pictures and sound from one box to another. Luffy listened to everything in complete awe. Zoro could care less. True, those contraptions were useful and interesting (though he found it hard to believe that they could actually fly through the air), but his world was still superior.

By the third day, Luffy was completely convinced that Nami's world was filled with magicians who performed magic, and no matter how many protests Nami screamed at him the boy would not listen. He was showing signs of Zoro's Luffy again. Though, occasionally, he would go quiet and withdraw within himself. Sometimes he would grab tightly to his arm and dig his nails into his skin. Or he'd bite his lip and step on his feet. At times, he saw him claw at his face, berating himself.

It was times like those that he was glad that Luffy was still wearing his scarecrow outfit. Though the clothing was at least five sizes too big for him. The shirt engulfed his chest, running down past his knees. His pants were tied around his waist by a thin rope. And his hands were consumed by a pair of oversized gloves held together by a couple of pieces of thin rope. It was hard to do any damage to oneself with such thick material.

"How much farther is it to Emerald City?" Nami asked the wagon driver.

The man replied, "Five days on a wagon, around two weeks on foot."

"Five days?" Nami placed her head on top of Chopper. "Oh, I'm never going to get home."

"Actually, it's two weeks. We're dropping off at the nearest source of food." Zoro told her.

"No we aren't." Nami looked at him hard, "We have plenty of food, remember? That nice woman from the little cottage yesterday gave us plenty of food."

"Luffy ate it all." Zoro replied.

The scarecrow gave Nami a sheepish grin, "I told her that it wouldn't be enough."

Zoro had to restraint he teenage girl from strangling Luffy. "You idiot! That food was supposed to last us until we got to Emerald City! What are we going to do about food?"

"Nobody told me! If you forgot, I don't have a brain. You have to tell me these things because I can't figure out on my own."

For a moment Zoro was afraid that Luffy was going to withdraw into himself, but he only stared at Nami with scared eyes. The teenage girl relaxed into his grip. She rested against his stomach, her hand on her forehead. She mumbled to herself, cursing Luffy and her bad luck.

"Well if we get in trouble food wise," Zoro said, "we can always eat Chopper."

The reindeer's head shot up at the mention of his name. He looked at Zoro with hard eyes. For a moment he thought that he was going to speak to him in his Chopper's high, girly voice, but he didn't. Instead he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

"We can't eat Chopper," Luffy screamed. "He's part of the team!"

Zoro was about to comment on when he chased Chopper around Drum Island's castle trying to eat him, when he realized that it never happened. Instead he said, "I was kidding. I'm sure there are wild animals around here, we'll eat them."

"You wouldn't want to do that, sir." The wagon driver said, "The only animals out here are lions and tigers and bears. You don't want to mess with them, no sure-ree. Especially since they tend to interbreed."

"Lions…?" Nami whispered, her voice sounded scared.

"And tigers?" Luffy's voice sounded excited.

"And bears?" Zoro sounded surprised.

"Oh my," the wagon driver stopped. "There are some apple trees up ahead, but…"

Luffy didn't wait for the man to finish his sentence before he let out a cry of excitement and jumped out of the carriage. Nami soon followed him, saying a quick "thank you" before following Luffy less enthusiastically, Chopper not far behind. When they were gone Zoro stood up and walked to the end of the carriage.

"Be careful," the man said, his eyes glued up ahead.

Zoro didn't look at the man. Once he was off the wagon, the man clicked the reigns and trotted off. The others were not far ahead, resting in the shade. Luffy was gulfing down the apples, core and all, while Nami nibbled on her first one. Zoro sat next to them.

"This is horrible." Nami mumbled to herself.

"You don't like apples?" Luffy stuffed another apple into his mouth. "Maybe you should grab another one. I'll eat that one and you can take this one." He extended a large, red apple to her.

The teenage girl gave him a weird look before shaking her head. "You really are brainless."

"So you don't want the apple?"

Nami looked at him for several moments before taking the fruit, and giving the rest of hers to Luffy. The scarecrow smiled and plopped the whole thing in his mouth.

Zoro smiled to himself. This Luffy might not be as confident, but he sure was much more generous. Zoro would often get into fights with his captain during meal times because Luffy was never satisfied with his own plate. It was nice knowing that he didn't have to constantly watch his food.

"Zoro, aren't you going to eat?" Nami asked.

The swordsman shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

Luffy swallowed. "You should join us. These apples are really good."

"Ewww!" Nami tossed an apple into the air and stumbled away from it. "Worms! That apple had worms!" She wiped her hands onto her dress, chanting "ew."

"Now that you're up, I guess it would be best if we got going." Zoro stood up as well. "We have two weeks until we arrive in Emerald City."

Luffy stuffed a few more apples into his mouth, and grabbed a batch into his arms. He tossed one to Zoro and said, "In case you get hungry."

Zoro looked at the apple. Indeed, it was nice to not to have to worry about food.

(-)(-)(-)

Not long after they left the apple trees did Luffy complain about being hungry again. He wasn't as bad as Captain Luffy, but it was still annoying as hell. After a few minutes of being ignored he went silent. Zoro stared at him through the corner of his eye to make sure that he was okay. The scarecrow mostly played with his gloves, as if debating if he wanted to take them off or not.

After a couple of hours of surprising silence, Luffy opened his mouth to speak when a muffled, some-what echoed cry reached their ears. The group stopped walking and looked around. The scarecrow opened his mouth again, but the noise came back.

"What is that noise?" Nami asked.

Zoro looked at Luffy, expecting him to speak. When he didn't, he said, "I don't know. I think someone's asking for help."

"We should go help him," Luffy whispered.

The sound came again. Nami turned around and pointed southwest. "It's coming from those trees."

Luffy started running that direction, Nami and Chopper not far behind. The voice came again, this time more distinct. It was definitely saying "help," but the voice sounded oddly familiar. Zoro's eye twitched as the owner of the voice appeared into his head. He let out a tired sigh, and followed them. When he found them they were gathered around what looked like someone who came out of a fantasy book.

The figure was in a rusted knight armor that looked like it was taken straight out of a fairy tale. He smiled to himself. How befitting.

"Zoro, help," Nami pleaded as she tugged at the knight's helmet. "It's stuck."

"Are you sure that's not just his head?"

"Nami stop! You're going to rip his head off!"

"He was joking!" Nami screamed at him. Then she looked at Zoro, and said not so confidently, "Right?"

Zoro nodded and took Nami's place in front of the rusted knight. With one violent jerk he ripped off the knight's helmet. Luffy screamed. Zoro stifled a laugh. Sure enough, the Love Cook's head was sticking out of the rusted armor.

"Thank you," he said. "I've been stuck in that helmet for days."

"I was wondering what that smell is." Zoro tossed the helmet to the side.

The blond man glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who are you?" Nami asked. "How did you get stuck like that?"

Zoro was half expecting hearts to appear in the knight's eyes and blood trickle down his nose. Instead he smiled at her. "I am Sanji, one of the Great Wizard's soldiers. I was just on my way to Emerald City when it started to rain. In haste, I headed into the forest, but before I could find proper shelter my armor rusted making it impossible for me to continue. I've been waiting here for at least five days before you came to rescue me, my dear princess."

Nami blushed.

"Why were you going to Emerald City?" Luffy asked, "You are stationed in Sapphire City, right?"

Sanji looked surprised. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"

"Your armor," Luffy pointed to the orange spotted metal, "it's what Sapphire soldiers wear. Emerald City's solders have a wider chest."

"That's impressive," the Love Cook laughed. "I am on my way to Emerald City to retrieve my heart. For you see, someone has unfortunately stolen it from me, and refuses to give it back."

Zoro felt like he was going to throw up. Sanji, the Grand Line's most notorious womanizer, in love? He found it hard to believe.

"Someone stole your heart?" Luffy tapped the knight's armor. He looked up at Sanji with large eyes. "Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"When they stole your heart."

"Is he serious?"

"Unfortunately," Nami said.

"No," Sanji said, "But now is not the time for this. Will you please assist me in removing my armor?"

It took several minutes for them to remove it all. They rust was so bad that Zoro ended up having to remove all of the limbs, much to his dislike. When all of it was completely off, Sanji fell to the ground, exhausted. He closed his eyes and smiled, "It's good to get out of there. "

"Hey, Sanji," Luffy said, "You were stuck in the armor for five days right?" Sanji nodded. "How did you crap?"

Nami bonked him on the head and yelled, "Don't ask that!"

Sanji laughed, "May I ask where you are heading? These parts are very dangerous, especially after you leave Sapphire City."

"We're going to Emerald City too!" Luffy pointed to himself. "I'm going to ask the Wizard for a brain," he pointed to Nami, "she's going to ask him for a way home," and then he pointed to Zoro, "and Zoro is going to ask him for his memory back. He has amnesia."

"It happens to the best of us," the knight sat up. "You have a ride waiting for you in Sapphire City, right?"

"No." Nami replied. "Are we supposed to?"

His eyes grew dark, "It's dangerous up ahead. I doubt Marimo will be of much use to you."

Zoro gritted his teeth, "I'm sure a rusty knight will be much better. If you can't handle a bit of rain, what you use are you in battle?"

Sanji too gritted his teeth. "I am one of the most respected soldiers in Sapphire City. What are you?"

"I don't know," Zoro returned, "I lost my memory. Even then, I know I can kick your skinny ass."

Just as Zoro expected, the knight stood up and aimed a kick. Zoro grabbed two swords and created a shield. This obviously caught the knight off guard, giving Zoro the advantage to hit him in the side of his stomach with the hilt of his sword. Sanji gasped for breath as he was propelled into a nearby tree. Nami screamed, Luffy's eyes sparkled.

"Cheap shot," the blond coughed.

Zoro sheathed his swords. "I'm Roronoa Zoro," he pointed to Nami, "this is Nami," then he pointed to Luffy, "the scarecrow is Luffy," and then he pointed to the reindeer, "and this is emergency food supply."

"Zoro!" Nami wrapped her arms around Chopper. Luffy laughed, finally understanding it was a joke.

"Come with us to Emerald City," Zoro said, "If these people are as tough as you say they are then I don't know if I can protect them alone."

He wasn't an idiot. Though this Luffy had a lot in common with his Luffy, that didn't mean that he automatically knew how to fight. Sanji did. If they were to be ambushed, he might not be able to protect them by himself. Plus, he wanted to see how strong this Sanji was.

"Brains over pride, I respect that." Sanji stood up. "I'll join since we're going to the same place, but I can't make any promises that you'll meet the Wizard."

Nami asked, "Why?"

"He doesn't usually see people." Sanji said, "Especially with all the attempted assassinations."

"I was sent here by the Witch of the North. I have the shoes to prove it!" she pointed to the silver slippers. "He must see me! I'm not from this world!"

"You're Dorothy?" Sanji asked, "The one who killed Alvida, the Witch of the East?"

"Dorothy?" she said. "No, I'm Nami."

"That's your codename," Sanji explained. "We didn't know your name at the time. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure the Wizard will gladly see you," he looked at Zoro and Luffy, "…and your companions."

"I'm not going to see him." Zoro said. "I have no idea where Luffy got that crazy thought."

"But Zoro," Luffy said, "he can return your memory! Don't you want to know who you are?"

"I know who I am. I'm Roronoa Zoro." he said, '"I just don't know how to get home."

"Your best guess is Emerald City." Sanji said.

.

"So it's settled," Luffy said. "We're off to see the Wizard!"

**Author's Note**: I think the ending could be better, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to fix it. And, well, you're probably wondering who Sanji's love muffin is. I can promise you that it's not an original character, but I can't tell you who. Please keep an open mind, and don't let this ruin the story for you. It'll be very mild, and you probably won't be seeing much of it since this story is in Zoro's point of view. I promise you that everything I do in this story has a reason. I mean _everything._ So keep an open-mind and watch out for foreshadowing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** You know what sucks? Getting an e-mail that favors/alerts you and wait about ten minutes for a review to come. That's happened to be about five times while writing this chapter, and every time I kept waiting for a review. (lol) Still, thank you guys for favoring/alerting. As much as I would LOVE to HEAR from you guys, I won't withhold my chapters so I can get more reviews. Instead, I'll just sit quietly at my computer trying to figure out what's so important that you can't take a minute out of your time to write "great story" or something along those lines. (sigh)

Anyway, I would like to thank the wonderful and historically accurate Lectori for Beta-ing this chapter! Thanks, gal!

**Chapter Five: The Cowardly Lion**

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll go with you," said the Lion; "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage."

—L. Frank Buam, _The Wizard of Oz_

As they progressed farther into the forest, the trees became thicker blocking out the light. Nami clung to Sanji's arm for protection. It was weird not seeing Sanji freak out when a woman was touching him.

"Be careful," Sanji said, "this area is dangerous."

Zoro let out a loud yawn, "You've been saying that since we've found you. I have yet to see a treacherous group of bandits jump out of the woods and attack us."

"It's not the bandits you should be worried about," Sanji's face grew serious. "We've lost many stray knights because of Kalidahs."

"Kalidahs?" Nami looked at Sanji, "What are those?"

"You don't have Kalidahs in Kansas?" Luffy asked.

Nami shook her head, "Or at least I don't think we do."

"They're large creatures with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger." Sanji replied. "Legend has it that a group of Bears and Tigers decided that they wanted to create a superior race so they mated together. Their offspring were so strong that in order of keep human the dominant species, the Great Fairy Queen Lurline took away their spirits." He looked at Zoro, "But you knew this already, didn't you?"

The swordsman shrugged.

"But tigers and bears can't breed! That's against nature!"

"With Animals they can," Sanji answered, "They used to breed with humans a lot. It's forbidden now, but before the Great Wizard it was a common practice."

"Well what happens if they do breed?" Zoro asked.

The knight gave him a hard look that seemed to say, "Not now." This surprised him. Sanji wasn't the type of person to withdraw information. He was starting wonder if he even wanted to know what would happen if the couple were to be caught. A chill ran down his spine.

Nami didn't seem to hear Zoro's answer for she asked, "Why are they so dangerous?"

Sanji ran his hand through his hair, "They're smarter than the average bear, let alone stronger. One on one, a knight should be able to hold his own. Unfortunately, they travel in groups of two and three. If Marimo is as skilled as he claims to be, we should be able to take them, but if he isn't…"

"I'll be fine," Zoro smirked, "I kicked your ass, remember?"

"You caught me off guard," Sanji glared at him. "It was a lucky shot, and you know it."

"I bet you still have a bruise from when I hit you."

Sanji opened his mouth to reply, but closed it and turned away. Zoro smiled in victory.

(-)(-)(-)

"Oh god…" Nami let out a squeak of terror as she flew her hands over her mouth. Sanji threw his hand around Nami and pulled him toward his chest.

"Look away," he told her.

Zoro could barely believe his eyes. The wagon driver from a few days before was lying faceless on the ground. His arms and legs were ripped off his body; his clothing was to ripped shreds; chunks were bitten out of his torso and neck; and his face was completely ripped off. A few feet farther laid the two Horses that carried the cart. Both of their heads were missing.

Luffy fell to his knees, his eyes wide. "Wh-what happened?"

"Kalidahs," Sanji turned to Zoro, "Be on your guard."

Zoro nodded. "We should continue."

"We can't just leave them like this," Luffy whispered. "We should do something."

"The longer we stay here the more danger we're in." Zoro placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do for them."

"But…" the scarecrow's shoulders shook. "What will happen to their bodies?"

"Eaten, probably," Sanji said, "The other predators will scavenge the rest."

Zoro helped Luffy to his feet. "Come on," he whispered to him, "they still might be around."

Sanji hid Nami's face until they were a safe distance away. He asked her if she was okay. She hiccupped and wiped away a few tears, "Yeah. I think so." Sanji hugged her and kissed her forehead.

Luffy trembled as they stood there. His arms were wrapped around his body, his hands suffocating his arms. He mumbled to himself in fast, unrecognizable sentences. Zoro wasn't sure if he was scared or traumatized. Sanji walked to Luffy and placed his arms around the boy. Luffy clung to him as if Sanji was a life preserver. The knight stroked his black hair and spoke to him in a language he couldn't understand. He looked at Nami, but she seemed just as confused as she was.

After awhile Luffy stopped shaking. His eyes closed and his breathing became even. Soon enough, the boy was asleep in Sanji's arms.

"What did you say to make him so calm?" Nami asked through her sobs.

"It was just as simple calming spell," Sanji placed the sleeping teen onto the yellow brick.

"A spell?" Nami asked, "Like a magic spell?"

"More of a chant, really. Don't they use them in your world, Nami?"

She shook her head, "No, or at least I don't think so."

"Your world is very strange," Sanji said.

Zoro nodded in agreement.

(-)(-)(-)

Magic (or "magick") was common place in Oz. It was mandatory for every well off student to take a few magick classes when went through school. Very few take the classes seriously, and even fewer reach the ranks of sorcerers and sorceresses. The highest level of sorcery was known as a "Witch." Witches were women born with the natural ability to produce high level magic. Any male who was born with the ability was executed.

"Why?" Nami asked.

They were currently resting at the side of road, quite a ways from the scene. Nami, surprisingly, was taking the whole ordeal rather well. She was a little shaky, and her eyes were still red and puffy from the tears, but she was much calmer. Luffy was still asleep thanks to Sanji's spell. The boy was currently resting on Chopper's stomach, who was resting his head on the ground.

"So the Wizard wouldn't have competition," Zoro said.

Sanji gave Zoro a hard look, "I'm sure that's not the reason."

"Then what is, Princess?"

Sanji gritted his teeth and continued on with his explanation. "The Witches were assigned to each section of Oz: the North, South, East, and West. The North belongs to the beautiful Vivi, who watches over the land with a kind heart. The South is run by Apis. She's a little young—around six or seven—but her skills are almost as strong as the Wizard's."

"I'm surprised the Wizard hasn't killed her yet."

Sanji shot Zoro a glare. He continued, "The East formerly belonged to Alvida." Nami dropped her head in shame. "She terrorized the citizens of Munchkin Land, as you probably could tell. I believe that her death was more of a blessing than an omen." Sanji smiled at the teenage girl, who gave a weak smile back. "The Wizard is probably going to keep the land under surveillance of the Sapphire Army until a new Witch is able to take her place."

"What about the West? Who runs that?" Nami asked.

Sanji shook his head. "I cannot say. No one's allowed in the West without the Wizard's permission. If there is indeed a Witch there she was not appointed by the Wizard."

Zoro snorted, "Do we at least have a valid reason why we can't go to the West?" Sanji didn't reply. "I thought so. When Luffy wakes up we'll find a safe place to spend the night."

(-)(-)(-)

It was getting dark fast and they had yet to find a safe place to rest. Zoro was starting to worry that they may have to camp outside. He doubt Luffy would feel comfortable doing that. Though the scarecrow was much calmer, he jumped at the slightest noise (along with Nami) and refused to look up from his feet. Zoro often found him mumbling to himself in that strange language, but never said anything.

It was nearly pitch black when a low growl reached Zoro's ears. The party stopped. Sanji stumbled forward, his knees clicking together. A ferocious roar rang through the forest followed by a similar growl from before only louder. Then the sound a tree snapping and falling to the ground followed. Zoro and Sanji glanced at each other. Zoro said, "Let's go."

"Are you crazy?" Sanji asked. "That's a Kalidah's cry. We have to hide."

"All that's going to do is stall us!" he turned to the other three. Luffy was mumbling faster, his eyes darting around. Nami clutched onto Chopper, hiding her head into the reindeer's coat. He met Chopper's eyes. "If anything happens while we're gone, stall for time." Chopper sneezed. Zoro took that as an agreement. He turned back to Sanji, "Ready?"

The knight sighed, "No."

Zoro tied his green bandana around his head and withdrew his swords. Just up ahead, he could see three giant brown creatures surrounding a tree. He let out a cry as he jumped in the air, slashing one of the beasts in half. Just before he landed on the ground a giant paw swung into his side, sending him hurling into the forest. He went through three trees before landing on the ground.

He coughed a bit of blood onto the ground. They _were_ strong.

"Shit!" Sanji cursed. "That shitty swordsman got killed already!"

"I'm not dead!" Zoro screamed back at him.

He stumbled back to the yellow road, tripping on the broken timber covering the ground. His head was pounding and blood was trickling down his face. He was not in a good mood.

Sanji and the creatures looked honestly surprised to find that he was still alive. The swordsman just glared at them and spat onto the ground. He returned to his fighting stance and readied to attack. A Kalidah with a bleeding arm and a missing eye walked toward him and stood up. The other one went to Sanji. Zoro smirked.

But just before Zoro moved to attack, a loud roar came from behind them. A figure jumped on top of the monster, biting the creature in the neck. The Kalidah roared with anguish as it tried to pry off the unknown attacker. Zoro took this opportunity to slash the monster in the stomach, nearly cutting the creature in two. The monster let out one last cry before falling onto the floor, nearing squishing the other attacker.

Not long after the second Kalidah fell, the other one followed. Sanji stood a few feet away. "I never want to do that again."

Zoro smiled.

Laughter came from where the dead Kalidah's laid. Usopp kneeled against the dead monsters shaking his head. His body trembled and his tail swished across the yellow brick. Tears fell from his golden, cat eyes in large drops. Dried blood clustered onto the fur on his hands and the claws on the tip of his fingers. His furry brown ears were pulled back, making it difficult to see through his black hair. Blood trickled down his sharp teeth as his laughter eventually turned into sharp gasps.

Zoro didn't know if he was more surprised that Usopp hadn't run away from the Kalidahs or that he was some type of feline.

"Are you okay?" Sanji asked.

Usopp didn't reply.

Zoro stood up and walked to where Usopp rested. He tapped him on the shoulder. The long-nosed feline looked up, rolled his eyes backwards, and fainted.

"I guess not."

(-)(-)(-)

They ended up camping outside, but everyone felt a little bit better now that the Kalidahs were dead. Out of the three of them, Zoro had come out with the most scratches. His forehead was gushing blood, making it hard for him to see. His shirt was wrapped around his side to help stop the blood that was coming from the scratch he received on his side. Everyone looked at him with open mouths as he addressed his wounds.

He looked at them and said, "What?"

"How the hell are you still alive?" Nami asked.

Zoro shrugged. "I've had worse." He pointed to the stitches across his chest.

Nami shook her head, "We need a doctor. I don't think you're going to survive long with those wounds." Her eyes fell on the sleeping feline. "And I'm worried he might not make it either."

"He's fine," Zoro grabbed the edge of Sanji's shirt and wiped his face on it. The knight let out a cry of protest and ripped his shirt out of his hands. "Most of the blood's theirs."

Luffy knelt down next to Zoro and hesitantly placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder. "You're losing a lot of blood. Maybe you should rest."

The swordsman chuckled, "I think I have a concussion. If I go to sleep I might never wake up."

"Don't say it so casually!" Sanji yelled at him.

"Go to sleep." Zoro told them. "I'll watch guard; I have to stay up anyway."

"But…" Nami hesitated. "What if you fall asleep and don't wake up?"

"Then leave me."

They looked at each other with a somber expression. Then Sanji asked, "Would you like a burial or eaten by wolves?"

"Sanji!" Nami looked at Zoro with a desperate expression. "You aren't going to die. You'll be fine."

Zoro shrugged, "You'd better go with the wolves. It'll be less painful that way."

"Stop it!" Nami covered her ears. "You aren't going to die. Sanji, don't you know any spells to heal?"

The knight shook his head. "That's for advance sorcery."

"I'll stay up with him." Luffy looked at Zoro, his eyes just as scared as Nami's. "You said that if you don't fall asleep you won't die, right?"

Zoro opened his mouth to say no, but the desperate look in Luffy's eyes made him close it. He nodded. Luffy crawled over to where Zoro rested against the tree and placed his head on the swordsman shoulder. He started mumbling to himself again. Zoro looked at the others and said, "Go to sleep. I'll be fine."

They nodded and made themselves comfortable on the floor. Chopper walked over to Zoro and placed his head on his thigh. It wasn't long before he heard the reindeer snore.

The swordsman placed his head on top of Luffy's, but kept his eyes opened. A hand gripped onto his. Zoro looked over at Luffy who was concentrating on mumbling. A soft smile appeared on his face and he squeezed the small hand. The hand squeezed back.

(-)(-)(-)

"Tell me a story."

Zoro looked at the mop of black hair resting on his shoulder. He thought Luffy had gone to sleep. It had to be late. He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. The bleeding had stopped and the pain had dulled, but he wasn't sure the latter was a good thing.

"What type of story would you like?" he finally asked.

The head under his shifted, "Action. I like action stories."

Zoro smiled, "Do you like pirates?"

"Love them."`

"Once upon a time, there was young pirate by the name of Luffy. He was going to become the Pirate King…"

Zoro told him all the adventures they experienced while sailing the sea. Luffy listened eagerly to his tale, only interrupting once in awhile to ask a question. Somewhere between Little Garden and Drum Island, Luffy had fallen asleep leaving Zoro alone with his thoughts. By then it was getting close to sunrise, and Zoro was having a hard time keeping awake. He closed his eyes for a moment to rest them and soon drifted off to sleep.

(-)(-)(-)

He woke with a start. He looked around his surroundings in awe. He was in a white room on a comfortable bed wrapped in bandages. His clothes were on the nightstand next to his bed cleaned and sowed back together, including his pants. Zoro looked under the white sheets to find that he was completely naked. Great.

Just then the door opened and Kaya walked in. Her normally pale white skin was a healthy peach color, and her thin blond hair was full and shining. She's so healthy, Zoro thought to himself. He thought of Usopp's crush on the girl, and he couldn't help but wonder their current status in this world. Usopp wasn't fully human, that much was obvious. Did that stop the two from coming together?

"You're awake," she walked over to his bed and knelt down. "It's a miracle you're alive. Not many people face a group of Kalidahs and live to tell the tale. Who taught you swordsmanship?"

"I have amnesia."

"Oh," her face fell, "it happens to the best of us. Your friends are in the study waiting for you. If you feel up to it, I'll send them in."

Zoro nodded, "Thanks. How's the one with cat ears?"

Kaya looked surprised, "Usopp? He's fine. Most of the blood was theirs. He's actually a Lion, not a cat."

Zoro almost laughed. It was hard to picture the cowardly Usopp as part Lion. Still, he had to ask, "What is he? I don't think I've ever seen someone like him, even before I got amnesia."

Her face went dark, and Zoro was afraid of what the answer was. "He's half human and half Lion. His dad was an Extremist against the Great Wizard. In an act of protest, he had an affair with a Lioness. They ended up falling in love. Thus, Usopp was created. By then, the Wizard had already made it illegal for a human and an Animal to bear child. In fear of them taking away their child, they came to my father for help.

"A few weeks before the Lioness was about to give birth, the father ran to Emerald City to join a rally against the Wizard. He never returned. The Lioness died in childbirth. We've been taking care of him ever since. He's a nice man, and you shouldn't judge him because of his parents."

He wasn't surprised. He had a feeling that Usopp was a mixture of two species, but he didn't think anything of it. Usopp was Usopp, no matter what species he was.

"Why would I hate him?" Zoro asked, "He has done nothing wrong to me."

The woman smiled, "Your group is so kind. Do you mind if I ask a favor? Would you please take Usopp with you? He's a strong fighter, and he'll protect you on your way."

"We're going to Emerald City," Zoro replied.

"I know," her eyes were down casted."Maybe if the Wizard sees Usopp and how _human_ he is, he'll reconsider the law. I'm sure he's a good man, just a little misguided."

Zoro wasn't so sure. 'What would happen to him if he was caught?"

"They'd send him to a special district for people like him," she pulled a few strands of hair behind her ear. "It was created so they would have a safe community to themselves, but I don't want him _taken away._" Her voice cracked at the ending words.

Zoro shrugged his shoulders, "As long as he doesn't get in the way, I don't care."

"Thank you," Kaya stood up and bowed several times. "He might be a bit cowardly at first, but he's very reliable."

"I know."

(-)(-)(-)

"Usopp's coming with us?" Luffy practically jumped with joy at the news. "He's so cool! Did you know that the Wizard once asked him to be the commander of his army? He declined because he was helping Kaya. I wish the Wizard would ask me for help!"

"As long as he doesn't hurt Chopper, I don't care if he comes." A smile graced Nami's face, "Besides, Kaya is giving us some extra money for when we go to Sapphire City."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

Everyone looked at Sanji.

"You don't like him?" Luffy asked. "You were laughing with the rest of us."

"I like him, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?" Nami asked.

Sanji sighed, "It's complicated."

"Is it because he's part lion?" Zoro teased, "You have something against cats?"

The look he received from Sanji told him that this wasn't a joking matter. It was similar to the look he received earlier, when he asked what happened to the offspring of a human and an Animal. The same chill ran through his spine.

"It's getting late," Sanji looked at Nami and Luffy, "you two should be going to bed. We'll decide this tomorrow morning before we leave."

Nami looked like she wanted to say something more, but the serious look from Sanji's face told her that now was not the time. She and Luffy said their goodbyes before leaving the room. Zoro waited a few seconds after they left before asking, "What happens to them when they're caught?"

Sanji didn't look at him at he crawled into the bed beside Zoro, "They're sent to a safe district, usually with the Animal parent. It's to protect them."

"From what?"

He didn't reply.

"Why didn't you answer this sooner?"

Sanji looked at him as if he was surprised, "You asked?"

Zoro glared at him. "Don't play stupid, I know you heard me."

"I don't like talking about this, that's all." He rolled over so his back was facing Zoro's. "Only the superiors know what happens to them there."

He didn't press the subject any farther. The swordsman let out a tired sigh and made himself comfortable on the bed. From what they told him, Sapphire City was a couple of hours away. From there, they could rent a carriage that would take them the rest of the way to Oz. That was the safest way to arrive in Emerald City.

"If Usopp comes," Sanji told him in the dark, "we can only stay in Sapphire City for a couple of hours. That'll give us some time to get food and maybe a few essentials."

Zoro made a noise. Then closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**Author's Note:** Usopp didn't have a single line in this chapter. Sorry, I don't know how it turned out that way.

For those of you who don't know, Apis is the little girl who could talk to animals in the beginning of One Piece. It think it was a filler arc, so if you read the manga you probably don't' know. For some reason, I wanted a little girl to be one of the 4 witches of Oz. I thought it would be so cute! And, if things go correctly, she will actually make an appearance! Not many people include the Witch of the South. Well, except the original Wizard of Oz.

Also, Happy Easter if you celebrate it! If you don't, tell your parents you do so you can get free chocolate. XD

I'm almost at 4,000 words! That's amazing! This is the longest chapter I've ever written, and the person it's about doesn't have a single line. That totally sucks! There just wasn't any place for him to speak, really. Nine more words to go! It's officially 4,000 words!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** This chapter was late due to drama and my weird pet peeve of updating only on Friday, Saturday, or a holiday. Hopefully the extra thousand words will make up for it. Usually my chapters are around 3,000, this is almost 5,000. And let's all give a hand to my beta, Lectori! Without her this chapter would have a lot more mistakes.

**Chapter Six: Sapphire City**

"Alas! From impropriety,

The guillotine of piety

To remedy society

Indulge not to satiety

In mirth and shameless gaiety

Choose sobering sobriety.

Behave as if the deity

Approaches in its mystery,

And greet it with sonority

Let your especial history

Be built upon sorority

Whose Virtues do exemplify,

And Social Good thus multiply.

_Animals should be seen and not heard."_

—Madame Morrible, _Wicked_

Sapphire City looked like it was actually made of sapphire. All the buildings were a deep blue, the clothes and shops were decorated blue, the once yellow brick road was blue, even the food was blue! It took all of thirty seconds for Zoro to grow tired of the color.

"Beautiful," Nami whispered. Her eyes were wide with awe as she walked across the blue brick.

Sanji smiled, "Emerald City is better. The emerald is so bright that before you enter they advise you to wear protective glasses so you don't go blind."

"Wow," Nami whispered to herself, as if she could picture the place.

"Let's go exploring!" Luffy jumped in front of the group, childish wonder in his eyes. "This city probably has hundreds of places to explore!"

"We can't," Sanji glanced at Usopp who was hiding his face in the hood, "it's too dangerous if we spend more than a couple of hours here. That'll give you enough time to gather the essentials, but don't spend all your money. There are plenty of shops in Emerald City."

"What are you getting, Sanji?" Nami asked.

"Nothing, I'm afraid. I have to check in at the office to inform them that I am still alive."

"Or you could check in when we get back." Usopp said, "You could pretend that you had amnesia, like Zoro."

Sanji glared at him, "A true knight would not do something so dishonorable."

"Then where are we going to meet, princess?"

"By the exit gate," Sanji glared at him, "And you can't leave without me, Marimo, because you need my ID to continue further."

"When did this happen?" Usopp asked. "I always thought that it was free access."

Sanji shook his head, "They need to make sure you aren't there to harm the Wizard. There'll be another guard at the entrance in Emerald City."

"So we're going to meet at the gate in two hours?" Usopp asked. "We should go in partners to make sure no one gets lost." Everyone looked at Zoro when he said this, even Chopper. The green haired swordsman glared back. "Even though we're in a large city, a lot of our clients were attacked near or in the city."

"Well then, Usopp you'll have to accompany Lu—" Sanji's sentence was cut short when a large crowd ran into them, knocking everyone aside.

"Luffy!" Zoro screamed and tried to grab the scarecrow, but someone pushed him back. The swordsman cursed and fought the large crowd, but with every step forward he took, he was pushed three back. It took five minutes for the crowd to disappear and by then he was in an unfamiliar part in the city. He looked around to see if anyone else was around. There was no one.

"Fuck."

**Zoro**

Zoro's items were clothes ("because we all need new clothes, especially Zoro") and traveling essentials ("like rope, matches, bags, blankets, etcetera"). He stared at the large amount of gold in his bag. He couldn't believe that Sanji carried this much gold with him everyday bases, especially with bandits roaming around. It wasn't safe or smart.

But he didn't have time to think about these things. He needed to get the supplies (and maybe see if they had clothing that _wasn't _blue) before he started looking for the others. Sanji would probably be okay. He was well aware of the area and knew where he was supposed to go. Nami—if she was with Chopper or someone else—shouldn't get into trouble. She was smart, and those shoes were supposed to be magick. Chopper would be okay, with or without someone. The reindeer would probably just sit by the gates and wait. And as long as Usopp kept his hood on, he should be able to glide through the crowd unnoticed. Still, Zoro was a bit anxious leaving him alone.

Then there was Luffy. He knew that he was going to be okay. He was still _his_ Luffy deep inside. Still, that also meant that he was more likely to get into some trouble. If that were the case, he may be too late to stop something from happening to him. This Luffy wasn't a fighter.

Zoro sighed. He would worry about this later. Right now he needed to gather some supplies.

**Nami**

'"That looks cute," Nami mumbled to herself as she touched the blue dress.

She shifted the other clothing around her arm to make sure it didn't fall. Her assigned item was to gather cooking utensils and any item she thought Zoro might be too stupid to think of getting. She barely remembered Sanji saying that because most of her focus was the brown bag of gold waving in front of her. Never in her life had she seen so much gold! Not even Bellemere's jewelry box (which had been passed down for generations) had that much.

She giggled to herself as she grabbed the dress and added it to the pile.

Oz wasn't so bad. It was easier on the eyes than the wasteland that was Kansas. And it had magic (_real magic!)._ It was as if she fell into a fairy tale full of evil witches, good wizards, and brave knights. She almost wished to stay here, but she missed her family.

She down casted her eyes. They probably thought she ran away or got killed in the tornado. And after she said those horrible things to her.

"Ma'am," Nami turned around to find a tall woman faking a smile, "Our clothes are for paying customers. Unless you have the money, please don't take them off the shelf."

The teenage girl smirked, "Well then, I guess you don't want this," she held up the large bag. The woman's eyes went wide, "I should be on my way."

"N-no, of course not!" the woman gathered the clothes from Nami's arm, "please let me take these from you. Is there anything you would like? Tea? Water?"

"Tea would be great. And maybe some biscuits if you have any."

The woman bowed, "Of course. Right away, miss." The woman scurried away. Nami looked at the large bag of gold and smiled, she was going to miss this.

**Usopp**

Usopp ran through the alleys of Sapphire City, dodging shadows as they passed by. Where were Luffy and the others? He didn't want to be alone in a city full of soldiers. If they found out who he was, then he'd never be able to confront the Wizard.

The Lion threw himself against the wall. He looked left. Then right. No one was there. He let out a sigh of relief and slid to the floor. Who was he kidding? He couldn't get the courage to meet the Wizard. Even if he did, he doubt he would make it through the front gates. He didn't know why Kaya insisted that he came. It wasn't like he could make a difference.

Still, he couldn't believe everyone accepted him in the group. Even the scary guy with the swords welcomed him. Usually people avoided his kind, not welcomed them with open arms.

Usopp smiled. He was on an actual adventure to see the Great Wizard of Oz. He still couldn't believe it.

_Snap!_

"_Help!_"a tiny voice squeaked.

Usopp pulled himself up and walked around a corner. The long street was filled with mouse traps and dead mice and rats. In the middle of it all was a Mouse (or was it a Rat?) with its tail caught. The Mouse looked up at him with pleading eyes, she squeaked, "_Please help me! I don't wanna die!"_

The Cowardly Lion nodded and tiptoed across the maze of traps, thanking the heavens with every step that his tail was tucked away in his pants. When he was almost to the Mouse, his foot slipped and he accidentally stepped a trap. He threw his head back and let out deafening roar. The Mouse squeaked and started to scurry away. Usopp covered his mouth as tears formed in his eyes.

"Oh crap!"

"What was that?" a man's voice echoed.

Another man replied, "I don't know. Get your sword."

Usopp trembled as the footsteps drew near. The little trapped Mouse squeaked with fear. The Cowardly Lion took a deep breath before grabbing the tiny mouse and running the opposite direction of the noise. There was no where he could hide in the alleys, and a hooded figure running out into the streets didn't look suspicious at all. He glanced up at the deep blue buildings. They weren't _that _high up.

He looked over at the Mouse on the trap. She was curled into a little ball. Usopp took a deep breath and put the trap sideways in his mouth so he wouldn't harm her. Then he crouched onto the floor and jumped. He barely caught onto the edge of the roof. He clawed his way forward, cursing the boots he was forced to wear.

When they were safe, Usopp placed the mouse trap onto the sapphire roof. He lifted the metal spring to set her free. The Mouse took one look from him, let out a loud _squeak!_ and ran away.

Usopp dropped onto his bottom and muttered, "You're welcome."

**Luffy and Chopper**

"Do you think we have enough food?" Luffy asked the reindeer.

Chopper glanced back at the wagon strapped to his back. There were at least fifteen bags stuffed in there, plus the five bags Luffy was holding. Yeah, they had enough for a five day journey.

"Food never seemed to last in our house," the scarecrow laughed. "My Grandpa used to get so angry at Ace and me for eating all the food. We weren't allowed to go to town like everyone else. We had our food brought to us every week by this really mean looking man with a missing arm. Well, until my brother disappeared. After that, we ate corn. A lot of corn."

The reindeer tilted his head. The skinny child's voice went low as he spoke of his brother and the one-armed man. He could see the hurt look in his eyes, and the hesitant steps he took. He waited for the boy to start mumbling, but he didn't. Instead he put on a smile and skipped across the street.

"I know Nami told me to get some new clothes, but I like these. I know they're dirty, but it took _forever_ to wash out all the stains, but they cover the bruises—you saw them, right? When I washed my clothes back at Grandpa's?—and they remind me of home. It wasn't as terrible as everyone thinks it was. My Grandpa was really nice to me, and Ace was a lot of fun. He was so smart; he could have gone to any school he wanted too. Unlike me, I'd be lucky to get into a trade school. Though, I doubt I'd last long without any brains." He laughed and a few tears fell from his face.

"Ace would get so mad at me when I would do what the villagers said. He one time got so mad at them that he set one of them on fire." Luffy sobbed, "The one armed man was so proud of him. He used to always tell Ace that he was going places, but I didn't think he'd actually leave."

The boy stopped walking. He dropped the bags on the floor and sat in the middle of the road. Pedestrians cursed and yelled at him as they passed, but Luffy didn't budge. Chopper placed his head on top of Luffy's shoulders. Luffy shrugged him off and grabbed the edges of his hat. He sobbed.

"They told me not to cuddle boys. They called me a fag and a fur-fucker. I don't even know what that is!" He threw his hat onto the ground and grabbed his hair instead. "It's his entire fault! If he hadn't taken Ace away then I wouldn't have to see the Wizard! I wouldn't need a brain!" he hiccupped."Why did he leave? Was it my fault? Did he leave because of me?"

Chopper could sense the hostility coming from the onlookers. He tugged on Luffy's sleeve, urging the boy to at least walk to the alley. The scarecrow just pulled it away. The reindeer stared at Luffy, praying that he somehow telepathically could send the message, _Luffy, I understand that you're sad, but please get off the road! They'll hurt you!_

Then, by some miracle, Luffy let Chopper drag him into the alley. Once they were out of people's way, Luffy continued his crying. He grabbed his knees and pulled himself tighter into a ball. Chopper lay next to him and placed his head on top of his shoe. He closed his eyes and let Luffy's quiet sobs drift him into sleep.

**Sanji**

"Ah, Sanji you're back." the General stood from his desk and extended his hand in greeting, "How was Munchkin Land?"

Sanji didn't take it. "What happens to the offspring of an Animal and a human?"

The General looked surprised, "You already know this Sanji; they're sent to another district."

"But where is that district?"

The man shook his head, "We can't tell you. Don't worry about it, it doesn't concern you." His eyes grew serious, "Does it?"

Sanji shook his head, "No. My Heart isn't an Animal."

"Good." The man flipped through some papers on his desk. "Why are you so late? We were worried that the Kalidahs got you."

"No, I just got caught in the rain."

"I see," the man looked at Sanji with a serious face, "Do you want to tell me why you left the troop without permission?"

The blond man looked away, "I couldn't stand the crying."

The General sighed and ran a hand through his blue hair, "You know the drill, Sanji. The child and the Animal parent are sent away. It was for their own good."

"Sent away on what? We came on foot. There was no way a mother who just gave birth could travel with just one soldier." Sanji's eyes were hard. "What really happens to them?"

The General did not flinch. "They're sent away to a safe place."

"Bullshit. What really happens to them?"

The General shook his head, "Sanji, you're a great kid, but you're too sensitive about these matters."

"Tell me what happens to them."

"You're being childish."

"There was no way we could transport the child and mother without a wagon or another carriage. They would die before they reach it unless it was within a day's walk. What happened to them?"

The General rose to his feet and placed his hands on the desk, "What has come over you, Sanji? You never questioned us before."

"Being trapped in a suit of armor for several days does that to you."

The man shook his head, "Sanji, you love your—Heart, was it?—very much. You don't want to be living on the streets because you were stupid enough to question your government, would you? Do you think your Heart would like that?"

Sanji didn't falter, "Tell me what happens to them."

The man sighed, "Very well, but there must be have an agreement that this bit of information does not go into public, understand? If it does, there will be punishments."

"I'm willing to take whatever you throw at me."'

"Of course you would, that's why we're not punishing you—well not directly, anyway."

His blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

"I'll give you the information," the man handed Sanji a piece of paper, "in exchange for the name and location of your Heart."

**Zoro**

Blue was not his color.

He just had to walk into the store for all the female employees to swarm around him. They practically tore his clothes apart while calling him a fashion disaster. Before he knew what had happened, he was given an armful of clothes and pushed into the nearest vacant dressing room. The girls waited patiently outside the door.

The "latest style" consisted of deep blue pants that stopped just below the knee, a buttoned vest with a collar that looked like someone glue a cone of it, and a blue feathered hat. The woman who gathered the clothes was cooing with her girlfriends, begging for him to come out so they could see. He was starting to think this was all a set up for him to look like an idiot.

"Sir, I'm sure you don't look _that _bad." the worker said, "Please come out so we can help you pick your clothes."

Zoro swallowed his pride and walked out the dresser. The girls squealed and chattered amongst themselves. One of them said, "It looks perfect on him! Oh, I wish my boyfriend could pull the look off!"

"What do you think?" another asked. "Do you like it?"

"I look like a gay pirate."

The girls giggled. "Oh he's so cute!"

"Too bad he has amnesia," said another, "or I would totally date him."

"It happens to the best of us."

"Do you think he has a girlfriend? Oh, I wish I wasn't married."

While the girls were chatting amongst themselves, Zoro went back to the room and changed back into his clothes. When he came out they were still talking amongst themselves. He walked past them and out of the store. He didn't care what Nami said, he was not getting new clothes.

**Nami**

Twelve bags were too much for a girl to carry alone, and that was without the cooking utensils. She hoped that somebody was assigned a wagon because she could not go another week carrying these things.

"Did you hear?" Nami overhead a woman walking by say, "Apis, the Witch of the South, went missing yesterday. Her guard went to check up on her in her play room and she was gone. They think it's the doing of that Dorothy gal."

"The one who killed Alvida?"

"The same one," the woman nodded.

Nami's eyes went wide. Wasn't her nickname Dorothy? If they thought she was the kidnapper she would never make it back home! Nami adjusted the bags around her arms and hurried toward the Sapphire gates. They could get cooking utensils in Emerald City; she was not risking getting thrown in jail.

**Usopp**

The wagon station was filled with several types ranging from fun size to pioneer. On the opposite side were stalls that held horses and Horses. He never felt so degraded in his life. On top of each stall was a capital or lower case letter that showed whether they were an animal or an Animal, then the price. Animals were cheaper to rent or buy then animals.

As Usopp pretended to browse the selection, he noticed that each stable had a white sheet that told the name, race, age, and endurance the animal or Animal could hold. Then, in bold letters, it said whether they had their vocals removed or not. Usopp squeaked.

"Why would they do that?" he gasped out.

"Do what?" a cowboy asked him.

"That!" the Lion pointed to the sign that read, "**MUTE**."

The man laughed, "This your first time? Well, if you've ever been on a wagon with an Animal, all they ever do is talk, talk, talk. You can't get the damn things to shut their yaps! So the Wizard passed a law—with the consent of the Horse, of course—that allows us to cut off their vocal cords. It makes them a bit more expensive, but at least you get some peace and quiet, you know?" the man punched Usopp in the shoulder.

He nodded his head, "Yeah, I guess."

"So what can I getcha?"

Usopp glanced at the sign and said, "How many Animals do you have?"

"How much do you got?" he held up the bag of gold, "Five. The rest are regular horses."

"I want all of your Animals and the biggest wagon you have," Usopp dropped the bag of gold onto the man's awaiting hand.

The dumped the gold into his hand to see if they were real. Then he looked at Usopp and said, "You ain't one of those Animal right extremists, are you?"

Usopp tried to drown out the pounding of his heart as he tried to keep his voice steady. 'Does it really matter?"

The man shrugged, "Money's money. I'll have everything hooked and ready within the hour."

Usopp smiled in silent victory.

**Luffy and Chopper**

After a good cry, they found themselves at the exit where Nami was currently resting her feet. Chopper immediately ran to his best friend and nudged his nose against her face. Nami laughed and wrapped her arms around the reindeer. She rubbed her face into his fur and squeezed tightly.

"Hey, I was worried about you." She told him.

Luffy walked next to her and sat down. "Did you get the cooking supplies?"

"No," she pulled a bag out, "but I got some of the cutest outfits! Did you get new clothes?"

Luffy looked at his shirt, "I like my clothes. They belonged to the old scarecrow—before it caught on fire."

Nami's eyes dropped, "Hey, Luffy, you met Alvida, right?" He nodded. "What was she like?"

"She was really mean. She used to pick on my brother Ace a lot. She would sometimes burn our crops a few weeks before winter or she'd poison our water and get everyone sick. She had this _huge _ego too." he extended his arms out to prove his point. "She would make all the men tell her that she was the most gorgeous woman in Oz, even though she was the size of a whale."

Nami let go of Chopper and said, "What would she do if you didn't tell her?"

"I don't know. My brother did it once, and she just stomped away. Nobody messed with my brother."

"Why?"

Luffy grinned, "He's a sorcerer."

Nami smiled too. "I always wished I could be a sorceress. Then I could cast a spell on mean old pinwheel."

"Is he like Alvida?"

"Not in the least," Nami laughed, "he's actually our town's mayor. I used to get in so much trouble with him. One time, I stole a book on star alignments and he put me in jail for _five_ hours. I was so angry at him. I didn't think I would ever forgive him until he gave me the exact copy that I stole."

"Why did you steal a book? Don't you know stealing is bad?"

"I know. I just hate asking Bellemere for money." She smiled to herself, "I grew up in a mandarin tree farm, the only one in Kansas. The village I lived in was small and most of the food we grew was sold in our markets. So nobody had that much money to begin with. To tell you the truth, I don't know why I stole. I guess it's because I was so good at it—I rarely got caught—I figured that it was better than asking for money."

"Wait, if you know it's wrong then why did you get so mad?"

Nami looked at him as if he was stupid, "Wouldn't you get mad if you got caught doing something you weren't supposed to? Before I came here, I got into a huge fight with my mom and sister over an expensive jewel I stole. I was going to give it to Bellemere for her birthday—since sapphire was her birthstone—but she found out before I could give it to her. I got so mad when she made me return it.

"I didn't, though. I threw it into a pigpen instead. I gathered all my things and ran away from home. I didn't go far before Genzo—old Pinwheel—found me. I explained the situation to him. He said if I paid off the necklace by working for the jeweler, I could keep it. I wanted to go home and find the necklace to prepare for Bellemere when the tornado came. Chopper refused to let me in the pigpen, and instead dragged me into the house." She looked at Luffy, a sad smile on her face and tears falling down her face, "You know the first thing I thought when I came into Oz?"

"What?"

"At least I don't have to pay off the necklace." She put her forehead on Luffy's shoulders and sobbed. "I want to go home so bad, Luffy. I don't belong here."

Luffy rested his head on hers and said, "That makes three of us."

**Sanji**

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!" Sanji punched the wall until he heard a satisfying _crack!_ He sobbed into the smooth, blue gems as he slid to the floor. He was monster, a disgusting monster that didn't deserve to be in the presence of his Heart—if he ever saw them again.

He grabbed his injured hand and brought it towards his chest. Blood trickled down his hands onto the blue floor. He didn't care. He deserved to suffer for what he had done. He should have seen it. It was all around him, after all. He was so damn blinded by the illusion that was heroism. He refused to see the corruption that engulfed the once righteous knighthood. If the Wizard knew what was happening behind closed doors he would…

"Sanji?"

**Zoro**

Zoro has only seen Sanji truly cry once. It took a lot for the man to cry, and this one was no doubt the same. He walked over to the crying man and sat on the wall across from him. The blond knight didn't' try to hide his tears or cover his emotions. Instead, he laughed. Truly laughed.

"You got lost looking for the exit, didn't you?"

Zoro glared at him. "This city has a ridiculous amount of alleys. It's easy to get lost."

Sanji shook his head, "You're pathetic."

"At least I'm not crying."

The smile didn't falter. "You'd be crying too if everything you believed for was shattered before your eyes." Zoro didn't say anything. He continued, "I found out what really happens to them—the Animal and human offspring. I can't say I'm surprised…"

"They kill them, don't they?"

Sanji nodded. "The whole damn reason why I joined the shitty knights was so I could be a hero. I wanted to the knight in shining armor that saves the day. Now… Now I don't know what I am. I traded the safety of my Heart for information I already knew. I'm no better than those bastards."

"Stop whining."

The ex-knight glared at him, "I just lost my faith in my government, and you tell me to stop whining?"

"Sitting here and crying about it won't do any good. Suck it up and complain to the Wizard. If he is the man everyone claims he is, he'll stop this." Zoro stood up. "You say you're going to Emerald City to retrieve your Heart, well now's your chance to be her knight in shining armor. You don't need the rusty suit we found you in to be a hero. Just stop bitching about how life has got you down and do something about it!"

Sanji looked like he just got slapped in the face. Then he smiled, wiped away the tears, and got to his feet. "Let's go," he said, "the others are waiting for us."

The swordsman nodded and started walking down the alleyway.

"Marimo," Sanji called, "other way!"

**Author's Note: **I officially hate writing Chopper. It's so hard to include a character who doesn't speak! But anyway, wanna know something weird? The color of Munchkins is Blue, and Sapphire City is technically in Munchkin Land. I know this because Boq (the same one from _Wicked_) committed on Dorothy's outfit, and told her that blue represents the Munchkins and white represents Witches. I didn't do this on purpose, it just happened. Cool, huh?

So, one more chapter until we reach Emerald City. I'm so excited. I've been looking forward to this chapter since the story began, but I never thought it would happen! Wow, you guys should totally **REVIEW** so I have enough confidence to reach the chapter. You know, you in case I get hit by of Writer's Doubt or something.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Road to Emerald City**

"This is bad," said the Tin Woodman, "for if we cannot get to the land we shall be carried into the country of the Wicked Witch of the West, and she will enchant us and make us her slaves."

"And then I should get no brains," said the Scarecrow.

"And I should get no courage," said the Cowardly Lion.

"And I should get no heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"And I should never get back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

—L. Baum, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_

An atmosphere of gloom clouded the wagon. Never in his life did Zoro think he would be the happiest person among his nakama—even the ones from another world. He could understand why Sanji was depressed. His spirit was shattered by the illusion the government created. Nami was probably homesick, and Chopper was just mirroring her mood. The two Horses pulling the wagon and the three walking beside them probably wanted to kill them. Usopp was probably depressed about the Horses and Animals in general. And Luffy was always down.

"Oi," all the passengers looked at Zoro, "How do you decide a Wizard if you kill them all?"

Sanji lifted an eyebrow. "What kind of question is that?"

The swordsman shrugged. "I don't remember the history."

"How could he not know the history?" a Horse walking beside them asked.

"He has amnesia." The whole wagon chorused.

"It happens to the best of us," another Horse replied.

Zoro's eye twitched.

"Oz wasn't always governed by a Wizard," Sanji said, "Not really. A few couple of decades before I was born Oz was ruled by a king."

"Why did they change it?" asked Nami.

"Munchkin Land was in a great draught," Luffy answered. His voice was hoarse as if he hadn't used it in awhile, "The Munchkins begged the king for help, but there was nothing in his power he could do."

"Couldn't he just cast a spell?" Nami asked. "Or do a rain dance?"

Usopp shook his head, "There are no spells for making it rain— at least not any that normal people know of."

"The citizens of Munchkin Land grew impatient," Sanji continued. "They begged and cursed the king to bring water to the land, but he ignored their cries."

"He didn't ignore them," Luffy said, "He tried to come up with solutions, but he had none. He searched hours and hours for any spell that could make it rain, but there were none." he blushed, "Or at least that's what Grandpa says."

"Either way, he didn't have the answer the people needed. So everyone grew frustrated and angry." Usopp continued. "Many Munchkins left Munchkin Land to look for new jobs, while others stayed behind to tend to what was left of the corn fields. This went on for three years with many deaths of Munchkins and Animals who stayed behind. Then, when all seemed lost, a ray of hope appeared to the people. The Great Wizard brought water to the land."

"How?" Nami asked. "Didn't you say that there wasn't a spell for rain?"

"There isn't," Sanji said, "but he made it rain."

"How do you know it just wasn't a fluke?" Zoro asked, "That he wasn't in the right place at the right time?"

"He was able to do it on command." Usopp replied. "At a simple snap of his fingers it rained."

Nami's eyes widened, "Wow. I wish he was in Kansas. We've been in a drought for five hundred years."

Zoro asked, "So you made him your leader because he could make rain?"

Luffy nodded. "The old king thought that the Wizard had good intentions, so he made a deal with him. He would resign his place as king and give it to the Wizard if he promised not to bother him and his family. Unfortunately, the king didn't get the deal he was expecting. He and his family were exiled to the Quadling country. Knights were sent to check up on them on regular bases, and if any family member were to leave, they would be executed."

"That's not true," a Horse said. "The king _did _give up his throne willingly, but he was not exiled to the Quadling country. He killed himself."

Luffy lowered his head, "Oh. I guess I got it confused."

(-)(-)(-)

By the end of the day, when they set camp, everyone seemed to be in a better mood. Usopp stopped wearing his hood, Nami wouldn't stay quiet, Chopper was snoozing by the fire, Sanji went on long rants about how great his Heart was (but he never gave her name), the Horses seemed more open, and Luffy wasn't as introvert.

"And so I tore the bandit's right arm clear off!" Usopp pulled at an imaginary arm, "and I told him if he were to ever try to make a slave out of Kaya again, I would take away more than an arm."

Luffy clapped his hands and cheered, "Usopp you're so cool!"

The Lion smiled triumphantly.

"Great," Zoro said, "If we get attacked by bandits on the way we'll just throw you at them."

Usopp's paled, "W-well, it shouldn't be a problem for me if there were just a few, but you know bandits. They like to travel in groups of tens and gang up on you. I think you and Sanji are best to take the front line. Chopper and I'll stay behind and protect Nami and Luffy in case something happens."

The swordsman shrugged, "More bandits for us then."

"You can't honestly be serious," a Horse said, "Bandits are notorious for being dirty, no-good cheaters. If you attack them you'll surely lose." The other four Horses nodded their heads.

Zoro shrugged, "It can't be worse than fighting a Kalidan."

"Kalidah," Sanji corrected. "Jeeze, sometimes I even wonder if you are actually from this world."

The swordsman's expression didn't change, "If you're that scared just gather around Usopp, he'll protect you if any stray thief comes your way."

"You've never been attacked by bandits," the Horse tilted his head to the side, "have you?" The crew—including Usopp—shook their heads. The Horse whispered a quiet, "interesting," but said no more.

(-)(-)(-)

The wagon rides were more tedious than when he was on a small boat in the middle of the ocean. Usopp did his best to keep everyone entertained with his far-fetched stories and heroic tales, but all it did was lull Zoro to sleep.

One time, while he was asleep he dreamt of home. He saw Nami's headstrong attitude as she scolded them, instead of the rebellious, uncertain teenage girl. He saw Chopper's sparkling eyes as he listened to everyone's every word, instead of the hard eyes of a protective reindeer. He saw Sanji's pink hearts as he attended to every girl's wish, instead of the overly serious face of a knight. He saw Usopp's large grin as he told Luffy and Chopper about his great adventures on Syrup Island, instead of the face trying to disappear in the hood. And he saw Luffy smiling as he rested against the head of Merry, instead of the desperate boy hiding himself from the world.

When he woke that afternoon to find himself still in the wagon with the doppelgangers of his nakama, he almost wanted to slam his sword into the nearest object in frustration. He would never understand why the man in Kuina's book would choose to live in a world he did not belong in.

"It's getting late," Sanji looked up at the setting sun. He turned to the two Horses pushing the cart. Only one out of the pair could speak. "Find a place where we can rest. I don't think it's safe to travel in the dark, especially here."

"Emerald City is only a few hours away," the Horse replied, "We can make it before morning if we continue."

"No," the ex-knight pressed, "It's too dangerous. We're more likely to be targeted at night. Just find a place to—"

Sanji's eyes went wide just before he slumped over. Nami let out a scream that was quickly cut off as she too fell forward, followed by Chopper, and then Luffy. Zoro cursed as he jumped to his feet and tried to find this unknown enemy. His adventure was short-lived when he felt a slight sting at the side of his neck. He stumbled a few steps before falling out of the wagon.

His body was numb as he lay on the ground. Everything was blurry, but he could make two dark figures in front of him. He tried to lift his hand to at least get one good hit in, but his arm was dead at his side. "Luffy," he whispered as he fell into the darkness.

(-)(-)(-)

The cage he found himself in was identical to what he would see at a circus. There was no wall to it, only thin bars wrapped around him, attached to dark red roofs. He felt more like an attraction than a prisoner.

Nami was in a corner with her feet drawn toward her chest, crying. Sanji was randomly kicking bars, hoping to find a weak one. Luffy was still drugged in the corner, asleep. Even as he slept the child didn't seem to find happiness. Zoro looked for Chopper and Usopp, but they were nowhere to be found. He felt guilty for not being worried about them, but something told him that those two weren't the ones he should be worried about.

"You're going to break your foot if you keep doing that." Zoro said.

Sanji turned around and glared at him. "Then how else are we supposed to get out of here?"

He shrugged. "There will be a chance, there always is. You just have to be patient and save your strength. There's no use wasting energy on fruitless efforts."

The blond princess didn't say anything, but he walked away from the bars and sat down.

Being trapped in a cage was worse than being in the damned wagon. At least in the wagon, Usopp was there to tell stories so he could nap. Here he had to keep his guard up in case an opening for an escape was to open up or an enemy was to attack. He already messed up once he wasn't going to do it again.

It was early night when someone came to check up on them--an Elephant and a woman with long rabbit ears. Zoro almost sighed with relief. At least Chopper and Usopp were okay.

"Scum," the bunny spat, "You were forcing those poor Animals to take you Emerald City. They told us the whole story!"

"And what story is that?" Zoro asked.

"That _you_" she pointed at Sanji who took a step back, "bought them at Sapphire City after you forced out three of their vocal cords! You beat them and cursed them even if they were too tired to continue on. You disgust me!"

The blond looked hurt at the woman's accusations. "No," he shook his head, "that's not true. Usopp bought them! He was going to take them back to his house after we went to Emerald City. They were free to leave at their own will, we weren't forcing them!"

"Lies!" the Elephant blew his trunk. "You forced the Lion to come with you to protect you from bandits—_us!_"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Usopp told you this? I find that hard to believe."

"He didn't have to—" the Rabbit began to say.

'—He told us everything," the Elephant glared at them. "And you," she pointed to Nami who was staring back at them with wide, red eyes. "You are the worst of them all. You forced that Reindeer to be your _pet_, didn't you?"

"No!" Nami stood up and walked over to the bars. "I never forced to Chopper to do anything! He is my best friend and I would never do anything to purposely hurt him. You can believe what you want about the Horses and Usopp, but I would never see Chopper anything less than my best friend!" then as an afterthought she added, "And he's not a Reindeer!"

The Elephant and Rabbit looked shocked by her words. They glanced at each other, but said nothing. Instead they gave them one last glare and stomped away. Nami let out a frustrated scream and kicked the metal bars. She cried out in pain and hopped on one foot.

"Those damn Horses," Sanji seethed, "they've been telling lies about us. I'm sure Usopp wasn't much help to the situation either."

"Usopp didn't lie," Zoro said, "at least not this time. I don't think he's the type of person to do that, even after _you _lied to him."

Sanji looked away. "I was going to tell him before we arrived."

"Tell him what?" Luffy asked.

Zoro jumped at the sound of Luffy's voice. He thought he was still asleep.

Sanji didn't say anything. Neither did Zoro.

"What's with the down faces?" Nami asked. "I'm sure whatever it is, he'll understand."

"No he won't," Sanji shook his head, "I don't even get it."

"Now's not the time for a pity party," Zoro walked over to the bars. "We're only hours away from Emerald City. We can't let this little detour stop us from reaching our goal."

"Detour?"Sanji said. "You call being kidnapped and sold into slavery a detour?"

"We're going to be sold into slavery?" Nami and Luffy screamed.

"No we aren't," the swordsman kicked at the bars. He left a dent.

Everyone's eyes went wide, including his own.

"How did you…?" Sanji stopped. He walked over to where Zoro was standing and kicked the bars. Nothing.

Zoro smirked. "I wasn't even trying."

He grabbed both bars in his hands and pulled them apart. The bars struggled a bit, but eventually they bent creating an exit. The iron, Zoro realized, wasn't solid. If he had known that from the start then he would have bent the bars earlier.

"Zoro, you're amazing!" Nami hugged the swordsman, laughing.

"Wow,' Luffy's eyes sparkled, "Are you a magician too?"

"That's impossible," Sanji tapped the bars. Then he tried pulling them apart as well. They didn't budge. "There's no way you could be strong enough to do this. There has to be a trick."

The swordsman slid through the bent bars onto the grass. "It doesn't matter. We have to find Chopper and Usopp, and leave." He gave Sanji a hard look. "Even if he did say those things you have to tell him the truth."

"I know."

(-)(-)(-)

Animals of all shapes and sizes danced around the fire, including the five Horses. Large tents circled the camp. Zoro and the others looked among the dancing Animals for any sign of Usopp or Chopper. There were none. So they sneaked by the tents, peeking one eye inside.

The first tent Zoro found was filled with blue gems, vases, and other antiques. He realized almost immediately that the items came from Sapphire City. No one was in the tent so he went onto the next one. This room was bare except for a stack of hay. Again, no one was in there. The third one he looked in was empty as well, but was decorated with bones and skulls of (what was probably) humans. He glanced back at the party. Lions, Tigers, and Bears were some of the most popular species. Maybe they didn't sell all their humans to slavery…

Before he even could glance into the fourth tent, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He instinctually grabbed for his sword as he swung around, only to catch air. He almost hit Luffy's face when swung his arm on instinct. The boy's face didn't change. Instead he pointed to a tent a few tents down and motioned him to follow.

This tent had many more beds and medical supplies. A flash of Chopper's office appeared in Zoro's head. At the end of the row of beds were Usopp and Chopper kneeling in front of the last bed. Nami sat on the bed behind him, petting Chopper on his forehead. Sanji stood by the bed.

Usopp stood up and placed a bowl onto the nightstand.

On the bed was a Fox/human hybrid no more than six years old. She squirmed around the bed, haunted by feverish dreams. Usopp grasped her hand and she calmed a bit.

"What's her name?" Luffy asked.

"I didn't ask." Usopp rubbed her hand with his thumb. "She was shot by a knight—or at least that's what they tell me." He looked at Sanji, and said, "There is no safe district, is there?"

Sanji shook his head, "I didn't know when I joined, I promise. They didn't tell us—not the lower ranks." Sanji opened and closed his mouth several times. He glanced down at his feet and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Usopp shook his head, "I always had a feeling there wasn't one. It seemed too surreal to be true, you know?"

"And you were still going to come," Zoro asked, "even though you knew it meant death?"

The Lion smiled, "Of course. I'm the great warrior Usopp! I've defeated armies of bandits and thousands of Kalidahs! I can handle anything!" he laughed triumphantly.

"Then I shouldn't be a problem."

Zoro cursed as he turned around and found none other than Kuro standing at the entrance of the tent. The man was mixed with a black feline—a characteristic that fitted him well. The swordsman reached for his swords to once again grab thin air.

The bandit grinned, "Missing something?"

"Where are my swords?" he asked.

Kuro shrugged, "We've been running low on weapons lately, so your three were a nice addition. Good quality too, especially the white one. I think I'll keep that one for myself."

"Where are my swords?" Zoro stepped forward. He wasn't in the mood to play.

"If you come closer," he held up a clawed hand. "I might scratch."

Zoro smirked. "Bring it."

Kuro let out a noise that sounded like a mixture between a meow and a growl. He ran toward the swordsman at full speed, claws out. Zoro pulled back his arm and punched him in the face. The feline fell to the floor, unconscious.

It took Zoro a moment to realize the fight was over. He glanced at his hands in shock. Had he gotten stronger, or were the people here weaker?

"Let's go," Sanji tapped Zoro on the shoulder and motioned him to come. The swordsman nodded and followed them out of the tent. The party had stopped and the Animals wandered aimlessly around, looking for them. He pulled everyone back into the hospital tent.

"Run for the forest. I'll follow after I find my swords."

"No," Luffy screamed. "We aren't leaving without you! You'll get lost and then they'll capture you again and sell you into slavery and you'll never get your memory back!"

Zoro's eye twitched.

"I'll find them," Nami said. "I've snuck out of the house hundreds of times. I'll get his swords then meet you in the forest."

"No," Sanji grabbed her shoulders. "I can't let you get hurt. You have the most to lose out of this. I'll go instead. I know this forest better than anyone, so I won't get lost like Marimo."

It took all of his self-restraint not to bash Sanji in the head.

"It's fine," Nami tore the ex-knight's hands off of her. "The shoes will protect me if any danger comes my way. Their magick, remember?"

"We don't' know what they'll do," Sanji protested.

"Let her go," Zoro pointed forward. "We'll go north, toward Emerald City. There's a slight path through the forest. That's the one we'll be taking."

"Emerald City is west," Nami said, "and you were pointing south."

"Just go."

(-)(-)(-)

They ended up waiting at the edge of the camp, hiding in the trees to keep themselves hidden from the Animals. Zoro kept a close eye on Nami, despite himself. He didn't know how well this Nami was at thieving, or the how lucky she was. Chopper stood by his side, eyes just as focused.

"Zoro," Usopp whispered to him.

The swordsman turned around, but found no one. He looked up in the trees and found Usopp, Sanji and Luffy resting on some of the branches. He gritted his teeth. They could have told him.

"Zoro," Usopp whispered again, "I can see Emerald City. If we hurry, we should be there just before dawn. There's a check point about two hours away, if we reach it the bandits won't be able to catch us."

Zoro looked the same direction, but only saw trees.

"You can't see it from down there, idiot!" Sanji yelled.

Luffy laughed. Zoro's heart jumped. He glanced up at the tree and found a short smile on Luffy's face. It wasn't _his_ grin, but it was enough to brighten the mood. At least for that moment.

"I see Nami!" Usopp whispered. "She has your swords!"

The swordsman looked back at the camp. Indeed, Nami was twisting through the tents with three large swords wrapped in her arms. There was rustling above as the group climbed down the tree. Then, to their horror, a tree branch snapped. Sanji screamed as he tumbled to the ground, landing with an "oof!" on the ground. He wasn't high enough to do any damage, but it was enough to get the Animals' attention on them.

Zoro cursed.

"Nami, hurry!" Luffy screamed to her.

The Animals turned to her. The teenage girl froze in mid-step, then screamed and started running toward them. Zoro could have sworn he heard her say, "Luffy, you idiot!"

"Shit." Sanji cursed as he ran toward her, Chopper not far behind.

Zoro was about to run too, but Usopp grabbed his arm and pulled him farther into the forest. He glanced over his shoulder. Sanji was now carrying Nami piggyback as they ran toward them. Zoro was impressed by how fast the ex-knight was. He sure wasn't as strong as the other Sanji, but he was much faster. It wasn't long before they caught up. Roars and caws came from behind them as the Animals and hybrids chased after them.

Zoro glanced over to Luffy who was lagging behind. He was mumbling again, only this time much louder and with more energy. His right hand was holding tightly to his hat while the left clenched and unclenched. Zoro glanced at the raging mob, then at the scarecrow. He slowed down his pace until he was in reaching distance of the scarecrow. He grabbed his free hand and pulled him along.

Luffy's mumbling didn't quiet. If anything it increased.

Lightning flashed through the sky, soon followed by thunder, then rain. A lot of rain.

"That's impossible," Nami gasped. "There wasn't a cloud in the sky earlier."

The wind slammed into them, almost knocking Zoro off his feet. Chopper struggled against it, swaying back and forth as it swerved in different directions. Hail rained down from the sky, making running even harder. Zoro glanced back at Luffy. His eyes were hard and his words were becoming faster. What was he doing?

Nami screamed as thunder boomed around them, shaking the very ground. Zoro pulled Luffy closer to him and wrapped his arm around Luffy's waste to shield him from the falling hail. He didn't stop talking.

"We have to find shelter!" Sanji screamed to them.

"Why?" Zoro screamed back.

The ex-knight pointed to the sky, Zoro looked up. A large, gray funnel like cloud hovered over the ground. Zoro's eyes went wide.

"It's a twister!" an Animal screamed.

"Oh crap," Usopp yelled. "Grab onto a tree and don't let go!" He jumped onto the nearest tree.

Zoro glanced over at the Animals. A large group was still following them. He grabbed Usopp by the hood of his jacket and pulled him off the tree. "We can't stop! They'll kill us if we do!"

"Not if the twister gets to us first!" he yelled back.

"It's not going to touch us," Luffy said.

Zoro stopped running. Sanji turned around and yelled at them, "What are you doing? Come on!"

"It's not going to touch us," Luffy repeated louder so Sanji could hear.

"It hit the ground!" Usopp screamed.

Nami screamed again and pulled tightly against Sanji's neck, causing the ex-knight to choke. Zoro let go of Luffy and Usopp and stared at the large funnel of wind. It was dancing around the bandit's camp, sucking in tents and Animals alike. The few Animals that were chasing them were now gone, sucked up by the tornado. Zoro turned back to Luffy who was now quiet. His eyes were focused on the events ahead, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Sanji walked up to him and asked, "How do you know it isn't going to touch us?"

Luffy didn't answer. He just continued to stare at the tornado.

"You're doing this, aren't you?" Sanji asked.

Luffy nodded.

"Luffy," Sanji let go of Nami's legs and she slid onto the ground. "Are you a Wizard?"

**Author's Note:** Remember when Luffy said Ace was a sorcerer? Well zoningout wrote in a review, "I'm wondering, Ace is a sorcerer using fire, is Luffy going to have magic that can make him rubber? It probably won't come out until his friends are in trouble and then he'll forget his fear and protect them…" Well he's not rubber, but he can cast a mean spell. When I saw that, I burst out laughing. I had just decided the night before that I wanted Luffy to be the one who saved everyone from the bandits, thus revealing his awesome magick skills.

Here's a **question** for you guys: Who do you think is Sanji's Heart? It's actually not that hard if you think about it. Here's a hint: It's not Alvida. ;D


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